Issue - meetings

(a)      Approves the Strategic Outline Case included at Appendix A of this report; and

(b)      Notes the decision of the Education and Children’s Services Committee on 16 September 2025, to:

·            Instruct the Chief Officer – Corporate Landlord to develop an Outline Business Case, to present detailed options and costings for the creation of new community campus facilities to serve the Northfield Area, which would support the delivery of the Family Support Model in Northfield, allow for the reduction of excess school capacity, and provide opportunities for the consolidation of existing Council buildings in Northfield; and

·            Instruct the Chief Officer – Corporate Landlord to submit the completed Outline Business Case for approval to the budget setting process for 2026/27.

With reference to article 10 of the minute of meeting of the Education and Children’s Services Committee of 16 September 2025, the Committee had before it a report by the Executive Director for Families and Communities which presented a Strategic Outline Case, which summarised the findings of the recent Northfield Area Asset Review, and included high level options for improving future primary and secondary education and potential consolidation of other assets in the Northfield area, to bring about improvements in the delivery of Council services to members of the Northfield community.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee -

(a)      approve the Strategic Outline Case included at Appendix A of this report; and

(b)      note the decision of the Education and Children’s Services Committee on 16 September 2025, to:

·            Instruct the Chief Officer – Corporate Landlord to develop an Outline Business Case, to present detailed options and costings for the creation of new community campus facilities to serve the Northfield Area, which would support the delivery of the Family Support Model in Northfield, allow for the reduction of excess school capacity, and provide opportunities for the consolidation of existing Council buildings in Northfield; and

·            Instruct the Chief Officer – Corporate Landlord to submit the completed Outline Business Case for approval to the budget setting process for 2026/27.

The Committee resolved:-

to approve the recommendations.