Issue - items at meetings - Proposed options for the provision of 3 Junior forms in Portslade

Report of the Strategic Director: People (to be circulated separately).

(1)               That the preferred option of making St Peters Community Infant School, Portslade Infant School and St Nicolas Church of England Junior school into all through primary schools from September 2013 be approved;

(2)               That the necessary formal consultation processes arising from the proposal be undertaken; and

(3)               That it be noted that following further investigations the preferred option for the provision of junior places in Hove is at Hove Police Station.

165.1    The Cabinet noted the special circumstances for non-compliance with Council Procedure Rule 7, Access to Information Rule 5 and section 100B (4) of the Local Government Act as amended (items not considered unless the agenda is open to inspection at least five days in advance of the meeting), were that the consultation ended on the 13^th January 2012 and sufficient time was required to properly consider and address the response within the report.

165.2    Councillor Shanks introduced the report which outlined the preferred option for providing three additional junior forms of entry that were needed to account for the projected pupil numbers for the city.  She stated that the recent consultation exercise had shown support for the proposals and all considerations had been taken into account.  She hoped that Cabinet would accept the recommendations and that the proposed changes would be implemented as soon as possible.  She also noted that a further report would be brought forward in relation to increasing the provision of places for Hove Junior School by utilising the previous Hove Police Station site.

165.3    Councillor Mitchell stated that she wanted to pay tribute to the work of the ward councillors and residents of Portslade and welcomed the report, which she felt was the right solution.  She also queried whether the junior places to be provided at the former Hove Police Station would be a separate school or additional places to another.

165.4    Councillor G. Theobald stated that he welcomed the proposal for the use of Hove Police Station and hoped that it would come forward in due course.

165.5    Councillor Shanks confirmed that the intention was to provide additional places to Hove Junior and noted that discussions were on-going and a report would be brought forward to a future meeting.

165.6    RESOLVED:

(1)   That the preferred option of making St Peters Community Infant School, Portslade Infant School and St Nicolas Church of England Junior school into all through primary schools from September 2013 be approved;

(2)   That the necessary formal consultation processes arising from the proposal be undertaken; and

(3)   That it be noted that following further investigations the preferred option for the provision of junior places in Hove is at Hove Police Station.