Agenda, decisions and minutes

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

No declaration of interest was received.

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.”

It was considered and 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 involved the disclosure of exempt information as defined in Schedule 12A of the said Act and in the Public Interest Test as presented.

To receive a report by the Head of Profession, HR and Transformation.

Councillor R. Meirion Jones, Portfolio Member for Education, Libraries, Youth and Culture presented the report by the Director of Education, Skills and Young People which incorporated the Strategic Outline Case and Outline Business Case (SOC/OBC) to secure 65% of the finance under the Welsh Government’s 21^st Century Schools and Colleges Programme for a new Foundation Phase block at Ysgol Y Graig.

Councillor R. Meirion Jones recapped on the background up to this point whereby a statutory consultation on the future of Ysgol Y Graig and Ysgol Talwrn was held between 6 February and 20 March, 2020 following consideration of the proposal paper by the Corporate Scrutiny Committee and the Executive in January, 2020. The report on the outcome of the statutory consultation was presented to the Corporate Scrutiny Committee on 10 December, 2020 which having considered the information presented and the representations made, resolved to recommend to the Executive that it proceed with the original proposal as the most appropriate way forward namely, to increase capacity of Ysgol Y Graig to accommodate pupils from Ysgol Talwrn, close Ysgol Talwrn and review the catchment area of Ysgol Y Graig and Ysgol Talwrn. This proposal was subsequently approved by the Executive on 17 December, 2020.

The Programme, Business Planning and Performance Manager reported that the development of the Strategic Outline Case and Outline Business Case marks a specific point in the process of bringing the schools’  modernisation process to a conclusion in this part of Llangefni. Following the Executive’s decision on 17 December, 2020 to proceed with increasing the capacity of Ysgol Y Graig to accommodate pupils from Ysgol Talwrn and to close Ysgol Talwrn, a statutory notice to this effect was issued. The Outline Business Case sets out the expected investment in Ysgol Y Graig on the part of Welsh Government which will provide 65% of the cost of the project and on the part of the Council which will contribute the remaining 35%.The Council’s investment will be through a mix of unsupported borrowing, capital receipts and housing developer funds from housing developments within the Ysgol Y Graig catchment area.  The Business Case also includes an analysis of the alternative options for delivering the investment objectives in line with Welsh Government’s Business Case methodology. The Programme, Business Planning and Performance Manager highlighted that the project as well as delivering all-important educational benefits will eliminate the current and projected maintenance spend at Ysgol Y Graig and Ysgol Talwrn and contribute to revenue savings.

The SOC/OBC will be subject to scrutiny and challenge by two Welsh Government panels – the Business Case Scrutiny Group meeting on 16 September, 2021 and the Programme Investment Panel meeting on 14 October, 2021 following which the Full Business Case will be submitted to the Executive at a later date.

The Executive thanked the Officers, specifically the staff of the Transformation Service for the work that had gone into producing such a detailed document and commented that this matter has long been  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.