Agenda item

Refresh of the Work Programme 2020/21 - Report of the Corporate Director of Resources

Minutes:

The Committee received a report of the Corporate Director of Resources that provided the Children and Young People’s Overview and Scrutiny

Committee (CYPOSC) with an updated work programme for 2020/21.

 

The Overview and Scrutiny Officer explained the updated work programme for 2020/21 and the different elements that would be covered within scrutiny.  She noted that it had flexibility which was essential to respond to items that may arise and had been framed around the Covid 19 pandemic. 

 

Councillor Wilkes was concerned that when children returned to school in September that buildings would not be fit for purpose. He assumed that there would be a back log of repair work.  He noticed that there was no scrutiny around school buildings contained in the work programme.  He wanted to know where these concerns would be addressed if not at a scrutiny committee.  He stressed that there was a need to prioritise schools to ensure they were fit for purpose especially with pressures from government making additional burdens of creating bubbles and social distancing.

 

Councillor Smith responded to Councillor Wilkes that there was a detailed review being undertaken by the service that would include school buildings.  She confirmed that the finalised report would be fed into the Children and Young People’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee for analysis.

 

Cllr Gunn confirmed that there was an ongoing review into children and young people’s services.  She noted that school buildings had been incorporated into the Schools for Future project in 2003 but funding was cut short and government had been lobbied for additional funding for rebuilds and the refurbishment of school buildings

 

The Corporate Director of Children and Young People Services highlighted that the review would cover issues with school buildings and their sustainability.  He stated that in terms of capital funding there were currently three pots of government funding aimed at schools, DCC got an annual allocation around school condition which was for emergency repair works and small health and safety type activity to school buildings.  He advised that the allocation for this year was £4.8 million across 266 schools but when taking into account split sites this rose to 290 which was limiting.  He noted that the second stream of funding was basis need funding and this was only for expansions and could not be used for school replacement or condition type of activity.  The third stream of funding was the priority build schemes which there had been two schemes over the last seven years and was a school by school bidding process nationally this money did not come via the local authority but went to individual schools in urgent need of renewal.  Schools were required to meet a range of criteria; Durham had four schools successful in round one and three schools that were successful in round two.  Durham did not have substantial challenges throughout the school estate, but there were a number of schools known in need of renewal or at the minimum some form of refurbishment as well as the conditions backlog that continued to grow because the allocation did not meet the full cost that was required.  Durham were waiting to understand the detail of the announcement that was to be made about school buildings and because of the review Durham were in a good place to evidence the rationale and priority and be able to develop bids quickly.

 

The Corporate Director of Children and Young People Services acknowledged that there were challenges across school estates and their need for refurbishment. He agreed that the back log had increased but allocation did not meet cost.  He also informed members that funding came through the secondary sector and academies had a different route for funding that did not come through the local authority. 

 

Councillor Wilkes believed that Councillor Johnson the former portfolio holder for Children and Young People’s Services had brought in more capital funding for works to improve schools. 

 

 

The Corporate Director of Children and Young People Services cited that there had been many successful bid submissions for external funding for new schools.

 

Councillor Crute thought that the committee should await the outcome of the review to base any further work necessary on the evidence collated.

 

Resolved

 

That the proposed work programme for 2020/21 was noted and commented upon.

 

That the flexibility offered to emerging issues within the work programme for 2020/21 as attached at appendix 2 be agreed.

 

Supporting documents: