Agenda Item No.
HERTFORDSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL
ENTERPRISE, EDUCATION & SKILLS CABINET
PANEL
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MONDAY, 29 JUNE 2016 AT 10.00 AM
PROPOSED ACQUISITION OF LANDS TO ENABLE THE EXPANSION OF
THE HERTFORDSHIRE & ESSEX HIGH SCHOOL AND SCIENCE
COLLEGE, THE RELOCATION AND EXPANSION OF THE BISHOP'S
STORTFORD HIGH SCHOOL, AND THE GRANT OF AN OPTION OVER
PART OF THE SITE OF THORLEY HILL PRIMARY SCHOOL, BISHOPS
STORTFORD.
Joint Report of the Director of Resources and the Director of Children’s
Services
Authors:
Dick Bowler, Estate Manager (Tel:01992 556223)
Kate Ma, Senior School Planning Officer (Tel:01992 555858)
Executive Members:
Chris Hayward, Resources & Transformation
David Williams, Enterprise, Education & Skills
Local Members:
John Barfoot, Bishops Stortford East
Colin Woodward, Bishops Stortford West
Graham McAndrew, Bishops Stortford Rural
1.
Purpose of report
1.1
To seek authorisation in principle to the County Council entering into
land contracts to facilitate the improvement of premises for and the
limited immediate expansion of The Hertfordshire & Essex High School
and Science College (Herts & Essex), the relocation and limited
immediate expansion of The Bishop's Stortford High School (TBSHS),
and the improvement of the premises of Thorley Hill Primary School
(THPS), all in Bishops Stortford.
2.
Summary
2.1
There is an immediate opportunity to secure agreements for additional
land to provide additional playing fields for the Herts & Essex, part of
which would facilitate the project to provide 6FE capacity and sufficient
total area to allow sufficient site for a capacity of 8FE in the longer
term.
2.2
For TBSHS there is an immediate opportunity to enter into a suite of
land agreements that could enable the School to bring forward a good
business case to enhance its PSBP2 scheme into a scheme for
relocation and re-provision of its premises at 6FE capacity with
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sufficient site for a capacity of 8FE in the longer term.
2.3
An exchange of lands affecting the site of Thorley Hill Primary School
would be required as part of the above relocation scheme, with
consequential limited reorganisation of the Thorley Hill site and playing
fields, and improvement of its premises.
2.4
Potential to expand TBSHS and HEHS to 8FE would enhance the suite
of expansion options available for the long term and offer an alternative
long term strategy to secure sufficient secondary capacity for the
future.
3.
Recommendations
3.1
The Enterprise, Education & Skills and the Policy, Resources &
Transformation Cabinet Panels will consider a report on this item of
business. The Panels will be invited to recommend to Cabinet:“That Cabinet authorises:
3.2
(i)
Acquisition of land south of Beldams Lane, Bishops Stortford
and a Funding Agreement with agreement with The
Hertfordshire & Essex High School and Science College, on
terms to be authorised by the Director of Resources in
consultation with the Executive Members for Resources &
Transformation and Enterprise, Education & Skills;
(ii)
Acquisition of land at Whittington Way/Obrey Way/St James
Way, Bishops Stortford, and an Option Agreement in respect of
part of the site of Thorley Hill Primary School, Bishops Stortford
and an agreement with The Bishops Stortford High School
regarding its possible relocation, on terms to be authorised by
the Director of Resources in consultation with the Executive
Members for Resources & Transformation and Enterprise,
Education & Skills;
(iii)
An agreement with the Governing Body of Thorley Hill Primary
School on the arrangements that would be included for
reorganisation of the school site and additional classroom if The
Bishops Stortford High School relocates from its existing site, on
terms to be authorised by the Director of Resources in
consultation with the Executive Members for Resources &
Transformation and Enterprise, Education & Skills.
The Cabinet Panels’ recommendations to Cabinet will be reported
orally at the Cabinet meeting and circulated to Members in the Order of
Business sheet.
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4.
Background
Herts & Essex High School and Science College (Academy)
4.1
The School has been successful in its bid to the Education Funding
Agency for Condition Improvement Fund support for its plan to be able
to provide for expansion to 6 Forms of Entry [FE] intake.
4.2
Cabinet on 22 February 2016 approved a building project capital
contribution for an additional 0.5 FE from September 2017 onwards,
and on 20 June 2016 approved additional funding for acquisition of
additional land to enable re-provision of playing fields that will be
displaced by building works on the Schools existing sites and so meet
town planning requirements.
4.3
Information regarding the proposed land acquisition arrangement is
contained in the report on the Part II agenda.
The Bishops Stortford High School (Foundation)
4.4
The school has a Priority School Building Programme 2 (PSBP2)
award, but been advised by the EfA that its project has been
programmed at the end of the PSBP2 timetable, i.e. towards 2019.
Establishing the amount of the funding for the project is similarly
deferred.
4.5
The School is leading on seeking a conditional contract to acquire an
identified alternative site within the land at St James Way, Bishops
Stortford, which has been proposed for removal from the green belt.
4.6
There is the prospect of a scheme for TBSHS that would enable its
relocation and expansion to 6FE capacity. To support that ambition, it
is proposed that the County Council agree a suite of agreements that
would result in the making of planning applications for a relocated
school and redevelopment of the existing site.
4.7
Information regarding the proposed land arrangements is contained in
the report on the Part II agenda.
Thorley Hill Primary School (Community)
4.8
A part of this school’s site is needed for access, to allow the existing
playing fields of TBSHS to be re-developed, necessitating limited
reorganisation of the Thorley Hill site and playing fields, and
improvement of its premises.
4.9
The improvement scheme would comprise provision of a single mobile
classroom for use as an afterschool/breakfast club provision and some
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minor internal alterations/refurbishment to improve the entrance into
the school building.
5.
Future demand for secondary places
5.1
The County Council’s strategy to ensure sufficient secondary places
across the area is to establish a new 6fe secondary school within the
Bishops Stortford North new housing development to serve the rising
need from the existing community as well as the need arising from that
new community.
5.2
It is anticipated that further secondary capacity beyond the new 6fe
school is likely to be required to meet demand across the area in the
longer term. Current forecasts (which extend to 2026) indicate a peak
around 2022 beyond the 6fe capacity of the new school at Bishops
Stortford North. Pupil forecasts only extend 10 years into the future,
beyond which the children requiring a secondary place are not yet
born. However, the secondary pupil yield arising from the new housing
at Bishops Stortford North is anticipated to peak beyond the lifecycle of
the current forecast and the strategic housing growth targets within
EHDC’s District Plan which will provide for further housing growth
across the area extend to 2031/2032.
5.3
There is a need therefore to ensure sufficient options are available to
increase secondary capacity in the future as and when required. The
County Council’s representations to earlier EHDC LPR consultations
has included that there should, prudently and for the latter period of the
new Local Plan, be included an allocation of an additional reserve
secondary school site within the land at St James Way to ensure
secure additional capacity for the long term.
5.4
Should the premises ambitions of both Herts & Essex and TBSHS
result in enlarged site capacities for both schools, as indicated above,
this would increase potential options available for expansion of existing
schools across the area and there could emerge an alternative longer
term prudent secondary place strategy. The conclusions round a
strategy to expand existing schools would be determined by local
conditions if and when a future expansion is required, taking account of
costs and availability of funding at that time.
5.
EHDC Local Plan Review (LPR)
5.1
Current indications are that EHDC will consider its revised LPR
Settlement Chapters at its District Planning Executive Panel later in
2016 and after that consider its pre-submission draft review of Local
Plan. The Examination in Public of the draft plan may be in 2017.
EHDC has invited promoters of strategic sites to prepare and submit
planning applications, with a view to improving the evidence base for
the delivery of the sites and to assure the soundness of the draft plan.
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6.
Financial Implications
6.1
Information is contained in the report on the Part II agenda. The
proposals for Herts & Essex can be supported from existing capital
provisions and for TBSHS the Children’s Service additional places
revenue budget would defray the County Council’s costs in respect of
the new suite of agreements.
7.
Risk Assessment
7.1
If the County Council does not act swiftly to support the current
opportunities to put in place arrangements to acquire additional school
land and a replacement school site it may lose the opportunities to
commission additional places at existing popular and successful
schools serving an area where there is forecast demand a large
number of additional places.
7.2
Action taken now would open the opportunity to amend representations
to Local Plan Review consultations and other statutory town planning
processes.
8.
Equalities
8.1
For the Herts & Essex project the equalities implications were
considered in the report to Cabinet on 20 June 2016. For a relocation
scheme for TBSHS the equalities implications would be considered as
a part of a future report when a business case is available.
8.2
It is anticipated that these proposals will assist in meeting the rising
demand for secondary school places in the area, and meet the needs
of all pupils.
9.
Conclusions
9.1
Land acquisition opportunities exist that, if supported and followed by
appropriate planning permissions, would enable projects for premises
improvement and expansion of site capacity at the Herts & Essex and
TBSHS.
Background Information
Cabinet reports as cited.
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