Agenda, decisions and minutes

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Venue: Virtual Meeting

Contact: Ann Holmes 

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Items
No. Item

The Chair extended a warm welcome to all those present at this extraordinary virtual meeting of the Executive and she asked everyone to introduce themselves.

 

1.

Declaration of interest

To receive any declarations of interest from any Member or Officer in respect of any item of business.

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Councillor Richard Dew declared a personal and prejudicial interest with regard to items 4 and 6 on the agenda and withdrew from the meeting when those matters were considered.

 

Councillor R.G.Parry, OBE, FRAgS, declared a personal but not prejudicial interest with regard to item 6 on the agenda.

 

Mr Marc Jones, Director of Function (Resources)/Section 151 Officer declared a personal but not prejudicial interest with regard to item 3 on the agenda.

2.

Urgent matters certified by the Chief Executive or her appointed officer

No urgent matters at the time of dispatch of this agenda.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

None to report.

3.

Schools' Modernisation - Llangefni Area (Ysgol Talwrn and Ysgol y Graig) pdf icon PDF 2 MB

To submit a report by the Director of Education, Skills and Young People in relation to the following schools:-

 

  Ysgol Talwrn and Ysgol y Graig

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The report of the Director of Education, Skills and Young People with regard to the schools’ modernisation programme in relation to the Llangefni area was presented for the Committee’s consideration. The report set out the responses to the statutory consultation held in February/March 2020 on Ysgol Talwrn and Ysgol Y Graig and sought the Executive’s approval for the preferred option which is to increase the capacity of Ysgol Y Graig to take pupils from Ysgol Talwrn, close Ysgol Talwrn and review the catchment areas of Ysgol Y Graig and Ysgol Talwrn.

 

The Portfolio Member for Education, Libraries, Culture and Youth introduced the report by saying that it deals with the Schools’ Modernisation Programme as the programme applies to Ysgol Talwrn and Ysgol Y Graig and involves weighing and assessing the future of the two schools and the consequent impact on all the stakeholders, and in particular the children at both schools. He emphasised that their interests should be the predominant consideration in this matter. In acknowledging that modernising schools can be a contentious issue and that it is among the most challenging aspects of the Council’s work, he said that he understood and appreciated parents’ and others’ concerns on this matter. The schools’ modernisation programme sets the groundwork for the future of schools over the next 50 years at a time when they are under pressure from budgetary cuts, burdensome maintenance costs, meeting the requirements of the New Curriculum and several other factors as well as the impact of Covid. The Council has to seriously consider how the school system can be made more effective in the sense of creating the conditions under which teachers and pupils can succeed and also how it can be made more efficient in terms of making the best use of resources and ensuring that all schools receive their fair share of the budget. The Authority’s other strategies to which the Schools’ Modernisation Programme is linked include the 2019/20 Delivery Document, the Schools’ Modernisation Strategy as revised and approved by the Executive in 2018 (with the current proposal forming part of Band B of the Strategy); the Corporate Asset Management Plan 2015-20; the Energy Strategy; the Joint Local Development Plan; the Welsh Language Strategy and the Medium Term Financial Plan.

 

Between 6 February and 20 March, 2020 Council officials undertook a statutory consultation on the future of the two schools in question. Officials were authorised to carry out the consultation after the Corporate Scrutiny Committee and the Executive considered the proposal paper in January, 2020.The consultation closed on the last day of school before the first lockdown period as a result of the global pandemic that transformed education provision for a time. The Portfolio Member said that it is important to note that the Council has received a letter from the School Organisation and Admissions Branch of Welsh Government confirming that Welsh Government Ministers were giving the Council an extension until March, 2021 to publish any proposal. The Council has operated in  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.

4.

Schools' Modernisation - Llangefni Area (Ysgol Bodffordd and Ysgol Corn Hir) pdf icon PDF 2 MB

To submit a report by the Director of Education, Skills and Young People in relation to the following schools:-

 

  Ysgol Bodffordd and Ysgol Corn Hir  

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The report of the Director of Education, Skills and Young People with regard to the schools’ modernisation programme in relation to the Llangefni area was presented for the Committee’s consideration. The report set out the responses to the statutory consultation held in February/March 2020 on Ysgol Corn Hir and Ysgol Bodffordd and sought the Executive’s approval for the other reasonable alternative which is to build a new school for Ysgol Corn Hir and leave Ysgol Bodffordd as it is as the most appropriate way forward with regard to the two schools.

 

Having declared a prejudicial interest in both this and item 6 on the agenda, Councillor Richard Dew now withdrew and was not present for the remainder of the meeting.

 

The Portfolio Member for Education, Libraries, Culture and Youth introduced the report by saying that the Schools’ Modernisation Programme in this case involves weighing and assessing the future of Ysgol Corn Hir and Ysgol Bodffordd and the consequent impact on all the stakeholders, especially the children at the two school whose interests and well-being should be the predominant consideration. He reiterated that modernising schools can be a contentious issue and is among the most challenging aspects of the Council’s work and that he fully understood parents’ and others’ concerns in relation to this matter. The schools’ modernisation programme sets the groundwork for the future of schools over the next 50 years at a time when they are under pressure from budgetary cuts, burdensome maintenance costs and meeting the requirements of the New Curriculum as well as the impact of Covid. The Council has to consider how the school system can be made more effective in the sense of creating the conditions under which teachers and pupils can flourish and also how it can be made more efficient in terms of making the best use of resources and ensuring that all schools receive their fair share of the budget. The Portfolio Member referred to the Council’s major strategies and plans to which the Schools Modernisation Strategy 2018 is linked.

Between 6 February and 20 March, 2020 a statutory consultation on the future of Ysgol Corn Hir and Ysgol Bodffordd was held. Officials were authorised to carry out the consultation after the Corporate Scrutiny Committee and the Executive considered the proposal paper in January, 2020.The consultation closed on the last day of school before the first lockdown period as a result of the global pandemic that transformed education provision for a time. It should be noted that the Council has received a letter from the School Organisation and Admissions Branch of Welsh Government confirming that Welsh Government Ministers are giving the Council an extension until March, 2021 to publish any proposal. The Council has operated in accordance with the School Organisation Code 2018 throughout the pandemic period.

 

The Portfolio Member referred to the key drivers for change as set out in the Schools’ Modernisation Strategy 2018 which include improving educational standards; improving leadership and management; ensuring that school buildings are fit  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

5.

Exclusion of the Press and Public pdf icon PDF 92 KB

To consider adopting the following:-

 

“Under Section 100 (A) (4) of the Local Government Act 1972, to exclude the press and public from the meeting during the discussion on the following item on the grounds that it may involve the disclosure of exempt information as defined in Schedule 12A of the said Act and in the attached Public Interest Test.”

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

It was considered and was resolved under Section 100 (A) (4) of the Local Government Act 1972 to exclude the press and public from the meeting during the discussion on the following item on the grounds that it involves the disclosure of exempt information as defined in Schedule 12A of the said Act and in the Public Interest Test as presented.

6.

Subject to the decision on Item 4 - Ysgol Bodffordd and Ysgol Corn Hir, to seek Executive authority to purchase land for the development of a new Ysgol Gynradd Corn Hir, Llangefni

To submit a report by the Head of Highways, Waste and Property.

Minutes:

The report of the Head of Highways, Waste and Property with regard to the acquisition of land for the construction of a new primary school for Ysgol Corn Hir, Llangefni was presented for the Executive’s consideration.

 

The Executive was apprised of the multi-departmental site selection process which led to the identification of a suitable site for the development of a new Ysgol Gynradd Corn Hir, Llangefni. Outline information regarding the preferred location was presented as were the terms of the proposed acquisition of the land with assurance provided that the process had been conducted under the advice and guidance of the Council’s Principal Evaluation Officer. Having noted the information presented and the reasons why the option was considered preferable to an alternative course, the Executive was satisfied that the option as recommended represents the best way forward.

 

It was resolved to approve the recommendation of the report with regard to the purchase of land to construct a new primary school.