Agenda item

The Avenue School Expansion

This report seeks scheme and spend approval for the capital investment required to convert The Avenue Centre building to school use, to provide additional SEND places.

Minutes:

The Executive Director of Economic Growth and Neighbourhood Services submitted a report seeking scheme and spend approval for the capital investment required to convert The Avenue Centre (TAC) building.  The following documents were attached to the report:

 

·       Appendix A – Equality Impact Survey

·       Appendices B to D – Pupil Planning data

 

The report noted that in the November 2020 budget setting exercise, the Avenue Centre had been identified as an opportunity to reduce property running costs, and a savings proposal to discontinue RBC/BFfC’s use of the building as an office had been included in the Medium-Term Financial Strategy.  Once the building had been vacated, it was proposed to convert it to school use and transfer the site to the school (The Avenue School Special Needs Academy Trust) to provide 60 additional Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) places, enabling the school to increase their capacity from 175 to 235 pupils.  The cost of the refurbishment would come from the overall Department for Education Basic Need Grant of which there was £5 million allocated in the Capital Programme which had been approved at full Council on 23 February 2021 (Minute 19 refers). 

 

The report explained that the numbers of required SEND places in Reading was continuing to rise.  The Avenue School had reached its full capacity of 175 students despite having expanded in 2017 by 25 places and again in 2019 to accommodate another 30 pupils.  Other maintained SEND schools, both within the borough and out of borough, were also at full capacity.  The additional spaces at The Avenue School and 75 places at the co-commissioned Oak Tree School in Wokingham Borough could reduce the number of more expensive placements at independent or non-maintained schools and related transportation costs and provide a potential saving from the High Needs block.  Appendix B indicated a potential saving of £1.5m from 2022 to 2026.

 

The report explained that in order to deliver the additional SEND school placements and revenue saving, staff and tenants who had used the building prior to the COVID pandemic would need to be relocated.  This would require moving staff located there to other Council locations, including increased working from home where appropriate.  The report therefore sought authority for officers to proceed with facilitating the transition by agreeing and entering appropriate agreements with current occupiers of TAC and partnership organisations.  

 

Resolved –

 

(1)      That the release and spend of the £5 million budget for the project as identified in the Council’s approved Capital Programme February 2021 be approved;

 

(2)      That the Executive Director for Economic Growth and Neighbourhood Services, in consultation with the Lead Councillors for Education and Strategic Environment, Planning and Transport, the Director of Finance and the Assistant Director of Legal and Democratic Services be authorised to:

 

a)    Tender and enter into contracts for the refurbishment and new building works to the Avenue Centre;

 

b)    Agree and enter appropriate agreements with current occupiers of the Avenue Centre and partnership organisations to facilitate the exit of current occupiers from the building and relocation of these parties within the Council’s property portfolio;

 

c)    Agree and enter into the academy lease with The Avenue School Special Needs Academy Trust in respect of the newly refurbished Avenue Centre;

 

(3)      That the Assistant Director of Legal & Democratic Services be authorised to enter into the necessary legal agreements;

 

(4)      That the progress and issues connected with the vacation of the building to enable it to be converted and transferred to achieve the revenue savings target be noted.

Supporting documents: