Agenda Item No.
HERTFORDSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL
CABINET
MONDAY, 16 MAY 2011 AT 2.00P.M.
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PROPOSAL TO RELOCATE THE PARK EDUCATION SUPPORT CENTRE
(KS3 PART) TO PART OF THE FORMER SUNNY BANK SCHOOL SITE IN
POTTERS BAR
Joint Report of the Director Resources & Performance and the Director Children,
Schools & Families
Authors:
Dick Bowler (Tel 01992 556223)
Kate Ma (Tel: 01992 555858)
Executive Members: David Lloyd, Resources & Economic Wellbeing
Richard Thake, Education & Skills
Local Members:
Stuart Pile (Hatfield South)
Eddie Roach (Potters Bar East)
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Purpose of report
1.1
To inform Cabinet of the outcome of a public consultation on the proposal
to relocate the Key Stage 3 part of The Park Education Support Centre
(ESC) to a part of the former Sunny Bank School site in Potters Bar.
1.2
To enable Cabinet to decide whether to:
(i) proceed with the proposal to relocate the Key Stage 3 part of The Park
ESC to part of the former Sunny Bank School site (the former Infants
building and suitable site and curtilage); from September 2011 or such
other date as may be agreed.
(ii) take no further action; or
(iii) initiate fresh consultation on any alternative suggestion(s).
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Summary
2.1
The New Barnfield Centre, at Travellers Lane, Hatfield, has been identified
as the reference site in connection with the County Council’s procurement
of a contract for the disposal of residual municipal waste. On 28 October
2008, Cabinet resolved to initiate projects to relocate the Key Stage 3 part
of The Park ESC to suitable alternative premises.
2.2
On 28 April 2011 Cabinet decided to appoint Veolia ES Aurora Limited
(‘Veolia’) as preferred bidder for the Hertfordshire Waste Procurement
project and agreed the process for the award of the PFI contract to that
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company. Veolia intends to use the site of New Barnfield Centre for a
residual waste treatment facility. Once the PFI contract has been
completed, the County Council will be under a contractual obligation to give
vacant possession of the New Barnfield site.
2.3
The County Council is working to ensure that the necessary arrangements
are in place to be able deliver a vacated New Barnfield Centre in line with
requirements of the intended waste disposal contract.
2.4
The Park ESC is currently accommodated in a part of the New Barnfield
Centre and provides education for Key Stage 3 (Years 7, 8 & 9) students
who are at risk of exclusion or who have been excluded from mainstream
school. The provision also includes an outreach service to primary and
secondary schools in the area it serves. This area includes Borehamwood,
Potters Bar, Hatfield and Welwyn Garden City.
2.5
Due to the nature of the provision the numbers of pupils attending The Park
ESC fluctuate throughout the academic year, but it accommodates a
maximum of 20 pupils on site at any one time.
2.6
As ESCs are not subject to all the legislative requirements that apply to
mainstream and special schools, statutory proposals are not required for
the relocation. Guidance advises “reasonable consultation locally.”
2.7
The proposed facilities at Sunny Bank provide sufficient space to comply
with Children, Schools and Families generic standards for an ESC, which
are broadly in line with Department for Education requirements. Those
standards are not currently met at the current accommodation within the
New Barnfield Centre.
2.8
The Director Children, Schools & Families has consulted on proposals to
relocate The Park ESC from its current location to the Infants building and
premises of the former Sunny Bank Primary School in Potters Bar. A public
consultation was held between 22 November 2010 and 15 January 2011
(Appendix 1); 90 responses were received.
2.9
A majority of respondents disagreed with the proposals, including the
Centre’s management committee. Please see section 4 below for a
breakdown of responses received.
2.10 Under the Scheme of Delegation, the Director has delegated authority to
agree this proposal. However, in light of Cabinet making the decision on 28
April in relation to the waste disposal contract, Cabinet is also asked to
decide upon the relocation of The Park ESC in that wider context.
2.11 Whilst the project to relocate The Park ESC has been initiated by the need
to plan for the vacation of its existing accommodation, it would be
appropriate to consider whether to relocate to the proposed new site even if
vacation is not required as an outcome of the Cabinet decisions on the
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waste disposal contract. The decision around this will need to be informed
by the level of response to the consultation and the concerns raised.
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Recommendations
3.1
The Education and Skills Cabinet Panel will consider a report on this item of
business at its meeting on 12 May 2011. On the basis that the site needs to
be vacated following a decision on the waste disposal procurement, the
recommendation being made to the Panel is that it recommend to Cabinet:“That Cabinet proceed with the proposal to relocate the Key Stage 3 part of
The Park ESC to part of the former Sunny Bank School site (the former
Infants building and suitable site and cartilage); from September 2011 or
such other date as may be agreed by the Director Children, Schools &
Families (and following restructure in October the Director Education and
Early Intervention Services) in consultation with the Executive Member for
Education and Skills.”
3.2
The Panel’s recommendation(s) to Cabinet will be reported orally at the
meeting and circulated to Members in the Order Sheet.
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Responses to the consultation and key issues raised
4.1
Overall, there were 90 responses. The majority of responses were against
the proposal, 73% stated that they disagreed, 20% agreed, 7% didn’t know.
A petition has also been received with 76 signatories from residents local to
the former Sunnybank School opposing the proposed relocation.
These responses are summarised below, with copies of the responses from
key stakeholders attached as Appendix 2 to this report. Copies of each
response along with the petition are also available in the Members’ Room.
Respondent
Resident
Other
grandparent
Head teacher
Member of staff
Parent/Carer
Hatfield Town Council
Management committee
member
(blank)
Grand Total
%
4.2
No.
responses
74
5
2
2
2
2
1
1
1
90
of
Agree
15
3
18
20%
Disagree
54
2
2
2
1
2
1
1
1
66
73%
Don’t know
5
1
6
7%
The Park ESC management committee disagrees with the proposal and
has raised concerns around:
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

4.3
the location of the proposed site and the long distances students living in
Welwyn Garden City and Hatfield would need to travel to access the
provision, recognising however that the location of the proposed site is
closer to some schools and further for others
Students would be vulnerable during the extended walk from the nearest
bus stop
The move will make support programmes such as “Reflections” more
difficult to run effectively due to poor transport links from some areas of The
Park ESC’s catchment area.
The most common issues raised by consultees, together with an officer
response to each are detailed below.
4.4.1 The proposed new site in Potters Bar is too far for the students to
travel; the current site is more centrally located.
The County Council must make plans for the relocation of all services
currently in occupation of the New Barnfield site, including The Park ESC
as part of the wider waste procurement programme. The proposed site at
Sunny Bank offers improved facilities for ESC pupils with the opportunity of
a self contained site, with appropriate buildings and outdoor play space.
Once the PFI contract with Veolia has been completed, the County Council
will be under a contractual obligation to vacate New Barnfield and there is
no option for the ESC to remain on the existing site. The Sunny Bank site is
the most appropriate option currently available to meet the ESC’s needs.
The Park ESC provides KS3 provision for children excluded from school for
a wide area which covers Welwyn & Hatfield, Potters Bar and
Borehamwood. Pupils are encouraged to travel independently to the site by
public transport and currently do so. Due to the nature of ESC provision
across the County, there will only ever be one KS3 base to serve this wide
geographical area so, wherever it is located, will be more local for some
schools and settlements than for others. Whereas the New Barnfield site is
closer for some pupils and further for others, the proposed new site in
Potters Bar will offer shorter journeys for some pupils and longer journeys
for others.
4.4.2 Lack of public transport to the site; with pupils being vulnerable
especially during the extended walk from the bus stop
The nearest bus stop to the current site at New Barnfield is 0.25 miles; the
railway station is just less than 1 mile away.
The Sunny Bank site is located in a residential area with the nearest bus
stop being 0.6miles from the site and the railway station 0.7 miles away.
Pupils will have to walk further from the nearest bus stop but have a shorter
walk from the railway station than currently if they travel by train. The
railway station is around a 15 minute walk from the site and the nearest bus
stop is just under a 10 minute walk. These walking distances are
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considered reasonable and the majority of pupils are used to travelling
independently both to their current site and as part of their everyday lives.
The nature of the KS3 provision at the ESC means that the pupils attending
the Centre do change frequently. Of those on roll at the Centre at the end
of the academic year 2009/10, 19 lived in Welwyn Garden City and Hatfield
and 13 lived in Potters Bar/Borehamwood.
4.4.3 Many respondents expressed a concern about an increase in crime
and anti-social behaviour in the area as a result of the ESC pupils
walking through the residential area, and raised concerns over the
welfare of local elderly residents
There are a total of six Education Support Centres across the County and
there is no evidence either at the current New Barnfield site or elsewhere of
significant problems caused by pupils attending these ESCs. The KS4
provision in Potters Bar has built positive relationships with its immediate
neighbours living in the adjacent sheltered housing unit.
4.4.4 School site is too big for 20 pupils
The former infant buildings provide sufficient space to meet the
accommodation needs of the ESC, providing classrooms, staff and
administration areas as well as outreach facilities to enable the efficient
operation of the service. The pupils at the ESC are Year 7, 8 & 9 students
who, for a variety of reasons, are not currently able to cope in mainstream
education. The ESC teaches in groups of 6 to 8 pupils and the Sunny Bank
Infants’ building provides the right number of classrooms and ancillary
spaces to be able to effectively deliver the curriculum for these pupils.
4.4.5 Why the school was closed and why could it not be reopened as a
primary school.
Many respondents raised the issue of the closure of the former Sunny Bank
primary school and asked that the County Council reopen this site for a
primary school. The County Council took the decision to close the school to
manage the level of surplus primary places in the area. Low pupil numbers
in mainstream schools can lead to sustainability issues for schools leading
to difficulty in maintaining financial viability and potentially impacting on
educational standards. The reorganisation of primary provision in Potters
Bar provided a closer match between the number of places available and
the level of demand. Pupil forecasts suggest the current number of places
available continues to meet this local need.
4.4.6 Parking and increased traffic
Respondents indicate there has been an increase in commuter car parking
in the roads around the Sunny Bank site since the closure of the school and
are concerned with further increased parking and traffic. Should the
proposals go ahead, the scheme to refurbish the buildings will include
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provision of car parking spaces to ensure there is sufficient car parking
provision on site to meet the ESC’s needs.
4.4.7 Concerns that the KS3 & KS4 provisions will be amalgamated onto the
Sunny Bank site.
There are no plans to amalgamate the two services provided by the ESC
onto one site.
4.4.8 Why weren’t any other sites in Potters Bar considered such as the old
library building or the health centre?
The Elm Health Centre clinic is owned by the PCT and is not available for
County Council use.
The former Cranbourne library and clinic is currently allocated for an Adult
Care Services outreach centre. The site is not therefore available nor is it
appropriate for occupation by The Park ESC as it has no external hard or
soft play areas.
The former Sunny Bank site is in County Council ownership, in educational
land use and has appropriate buildings and external areas for the delivery
of the Park ESC’s KS3 provision. The site is also available within the urgent
timescales required for the relocation of services from New Barnfield.
4.4.9 Relocating The Park ESC to Potters Bar will make support for
programmes such as “Reflections” more difficult to run effectively
due to poor transport links from some areas of the Park’s catchment.
A number of programmes are delivered from the ESC, including
Reflections, which are aimed at reducing risk of exclusion. Whilst it is
acknowledged that transport will be more difficult for some pupils, other
pupils my benefit by having the KS3 base closer to where they live. While
the new site poses some problems regarding transport, it will allow the ESC
to develop substantially improved facilities for pupils.
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Property Implications
5.1
The current facilities at New Barnfield Centre are insufficient and substandard. Lack of investment due to uncertainty on the future of the site has
resulted in a backlog of maintenance.
5.2
The current accommodation at New Barnfield Centre is inadequate in terms
of the Children, Schools and Families Service generic standards for an
ESC, which are broadly in line with Department for Education requirements.
5.3
The existing accommodation at New Barnfield Centre comprises a part of
the former secondary school buildings and a mobile classroom. The total
space amounts to 450 sq. M. Department for Education standards require
an allocation of 833 sq. M and generic standards for KS3 ESC developed
by the County Council are similar at 823 sq. M.
5.4
The Sunny Bank site has been vacant since August 2007 when the school
was closed as a consequence of over-provision of school places in Potters
Bar, and has received 24/7 security protection.
5.5
The Sunny Bank Infant Block offers a slightly higher space standard at 951
sq M but is inefficient in terms of high circulation space that is endemic to
the original design of this circa early 1970s building. The net usable space
is broadly similar to the generic standards and it is therefore necessary to
incorporate the existing mobile classroom into the accommodation
schedule to enable sufficient space for outreach workers who are required
to be based with KS3 facilities.
5.6
The selection of Sunny Bank site has been the result of a sequential search
to identify suitable premises that are under the control of the County
Council, available for use from early 2012, are of the correct size, are in a
suitable location for the catchment area and are in proximity to the KS4
premises of The Park ESC located in High Street, Potters Bar.
5.7
The former Sunny Bank School site is available for use by the ESC as an
established education land use. It is located approximately 1 mile form the
KS4 Centre which enables efficiencies to arise from staff movements being
reduced.
5.8
The New Barnfield Centre was constructed in the late 1960s / early 1970s
and the buildings have been re-used for central library services, training
accommodation and the Park ESC. The buildings are coming to the end of
their useful life and are no longer viable in terms of refurbishment and
energy reduction. Most buildings are single glazed and poorly insulated,
plus investment has been limited to short term repairs on a day to day
basis.
5.9
It is anticipated that buildings at Sunny Bank are at high risk of rapid decay
unless put into use in the near future and the facilities offered to the ESC
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are substantially more suitable for the ESC by space standards and
building condition.
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Equalities implications
6.1
When considering proposals placed before Members it is important that
they are fully aware of, and have themselves actively considered, the
Council’s statutory obligations in relation to equalities. This will include
paying close attention to any equalities impact assessment produced by
officers.
6.2
The Equality Act 2010 requires the Council, when exercising its functions,
to have due regard to the need to eliminate discrimination, harassment,
victimisation and other conduct prohibited under the Act, promote equality
of opportunity for and foster good relations with individuals with protected
characteristics. The protected characteristics under the Equalities Act 2010
are: race, disability, gender, age, sexual orientation, religious belief and
pregnancy & maternity.
6.3
The Park ESC provides KS3 provision for pupils from a wide area around
the A1 corridor, which covers Hatfield and Welwyn Garden City, Potters Bar
and Borehamwood. The provision is currently located in Hatfield, fairly
central to the area it serves.
6.4
The proposed relocation to Potters Bar, to the south of the area it serves,
will result in some pupils travelling longer distances to access their
education, and some pupils having a shorter distance to travel. The nature
of the provision means that the pupils attending the ESC changes regularly
and therefore the numbers of pupils who may have to travel further will vary
across the academic year. All pupils are encouraged currently to travel
independently to the ESC.
7.
Financial Implications
7.1
The Council allocated the following capital provision for the relocation of the
ESC at its meeting of 20 July 2010:
o £200,000 in 2010/11
o £1,200,000 in 2011/12
7.2
The current estimate of costs is a top limit of £950,000 of which annual
allocation would be primarily 2011/2012 subject to agreement on limited
capitalisation of pre-construction activities in 2010/11. It is programmed
that works are completed before end of year 2011/12 but a 5% allowance
would be expected for retention to fall into 2012/13.
7.3
The Park ESC Centre Management Committee has raised concerns on the
location of Sunny Bank and the potential impact on revenues resources
due to distances from public transport. It is expected that any revenue
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implications would be absorbed within Children, Schools & Families
revenue budgets.
Background information
1
Council decision of 20 July 2010 on capital budgets
2
Cabinet report 20 October 2008 on the required relocations arising from
New Barnfield being identified as a reference site for the residual waste
facility PFI procurement
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