Agenda item

With reference to Article 9 of the minute of meeting of the Finance and Resources Committee of 22 November 2023, the Council had before it a report by the Director of Resources, which had been referred to it by five members of the Committee in accordance with Standing Order 34.1.

The report recommended:-

that the Finance and Resources Committee -

(a)      approve in principle the recommended option within the Outline Business Case (OBC) to construct a new 1600 pupil campus on the current Hazlehead Academy playing fields to provide secondary school provision for Hazlehead and Countesswells ASGs, subject to the outcome of a statutory consultation;

(b)      instruct the Chief Officer - Capital to refer the proposals for the project to the Budget process in 2024/25; and

(c)      subject to the outcomes of the statutory consultation and any decision taken at the budget meeting of March 2024 approves in principle the use of resources for the implementation of the project from 2024.

The Finance and Resources Committee resolved to approve the recommendations contained within the report.

Councillor Greig moved, seconded by Councillor Mennie:-

That the Council approve the decision of the Finance and Resources Committee.

Councillor Blake moved as an amendment, seconded by Councillor Grant:-

          That the Council:-   

(1)       note the decision of both the Education and Children’s Services Committee on 21 November 2023 and the Finance and Resources Committee on 22 November 2023 and agree that the proposals noted below best support the community of Hazlehead and Countesswells;

(2)       note the recommended option within the OBC and instruct the Chief Officer - Corporate Landlord to carry out the statutory public consultation on the proposal to establish a new campus on the Hazlehead Academy playing field;

(3)       instruct the Chief Officer - Corporate Landlord to carry out a separate statutory public consultation to specifically address the option of Kingswells primary remaining zoned for the Bucksburn Academy ASG;

(4)       instruct the Chief Officer - Corporate Landlord to provide members of the Education and Children’s Services Committee with written confirmation of the terms and scope of the LEIP funding allocation which was confirmed on 30 October 2023;

(5)       instruct the Chief Officer – Corporate Landlord to report back to the Committee on the outcomes of the consultation on the Hazlehead Academy proposal at its next available meeting following the conclusion of the consultation process, in July 2024, and to bring forward a report on the provision of a new Secondary School for Countesswells;

(6)       agree Council must not make the same mistake as the SNP made with the 3Rs Bucksburn Secondary School which was built without taking into consideration the increased capacity required for the area, therefore agree the report shows there is a need for a separate Secondary School for Countesswells and in not providing it Councillors today are just making complications for a future generation of Councillors with this proposal;

(7)       approve in principle the recommended option within the OBC to construct a new campus to provide secondary school provision for Hazlehead subject to the outcome of a statutory consultation and instruct the Chief Officer - Corporate Landlord to provide an OBC for a new Secondary School at Countesswells;

(8)       instruct the Chief Officer – Capital to refer the proposals for the projects to the Budget process in 2024/25;

(9)       note section 4.2 of the report and that the S75 agreement currently does not allow for the Council to use the likely £18m of ‘Secondary School Contribution’ from Countesswells towards a new Hazlehead Academy and agree that failure to build a new school at Countesswells may open the Council to legal challenge as well as having to pay back developers’ contributions; and

(10)    subject to the outcomes of the statutory consultation and any decision taken at the budget meeting of March 2024, approve in principle the use of resources for the implementation of the project from 2024.

On a division, there voted:-

For the motion  (24)  -  Lord Provost; Depute Provost; and Councillors Al-Samarai, Allard, Alphonse, Bouse, Hazel Cameron, Clark, Cooke, Copland, Cormie, Davidson, Fairfull, Greig, Henrickson, Hutchison, MacGregor, McLellan, McRae, Mennie, Nicoll, Radley, van Sweeden and Yuill.

For the amendment  (20)  -  Councillors Ali, Blake, Bonsell, Boulton, Brooks, Crockett, Cross, Farquhar, Graham, Grant, Houghton, Kusznir, Lawrence, Macdonald, McLeod, Malik, Massey, Mrs Stewart, Thomson and Watson.

The Council resolved:-

to adopt the motion.