Issue - items at meetings - Proposed Expansion of Longhill Secondary School

Report of the Director of Children’s Services (copy attached).

1.       That the proposal to expand Longhill School by one form of entry from September 2010 be noted and endorsed.

2.        That the publication of the required Statutory Notice to progress this proposal be agreed.

3.       That the results from the statutory consultation process be referred to Cabinet Member Meeting on 6July 2009 for decision.

105.1 The Cabinet Member considered a report of the Director of Children’s Services concerning the proposed expansion of Longhill School. The report set out the background and the rationale for the proposal and sought endorsement for proceeding to the next stage of the statutory process, which was the publication of the required statutory notice (for copy see minute book).

 105.2 The Schools Futures Project Director referred to the breakdown of responses received in support of and against the proposal following the initial consultation. He explained that the main concerns raised were around traffic and around parking on public highway adjacent to the school, and reported that a planning meeting had taken place to consider the matter. It was also pointed out that some extra parking spaces had already been found.

105.3  The Opposition Spokesperson for the Green Group enquired whether the school had a travel plan in place.

105.4    The Head of School Admission confirmed the school had such plan in place, and that it would be a requirement of any planning consent that the travel plan was revisited. He also said that school buses stopped on the school premises, which improved travel safety for pupils and kept the adjacent main road clear of buses loading and unloading.

105.5  RESOLVED - That, having considered the information and the reasons set out in the report, the Cabinet Member accepted the following recommendations:

(1)      That the proposal to expand Longhill School by one form of entry from September 2010 be noted and endorsed.

          (2)      That the publication of the required Statutory Notice to progress this proposal be agreed.

(3)      That the results from the statutory consultation process be referred to Cabinet Member Meeting on 6July 2009 for decision.