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Division(s): Banbury Grimsbury

ITEM EX16

EXECUTIVE – 14 OCTOBER 2003

NEW PRIMARY SCHOOL, CATTLE MARKET, BANBURY – LAND ACQUISITION

Report by Director for Learning & Culture

 

Introduction

  1. This report seeks the Executive’s approval to proceed with the acquisition of land for the purposes of a new primary school project in Banbury. The project comprises the building of a new 7-class primary school including Foundation Stage facilities on and adjacent to the former Cattle Market site in Banbury, east of the town centre.

    2. School Development

  2. The Cherwell Local Plan identifies in excess of 1,000 new dwellings (up to 2011) to be provided on brown field sites in the central and eastern parts of Banbury. This figure includes between 320 and 390 units at the Cattle Market. Most other proposed dwellings are situated within the catchment areas of three existing primary schools in Banbury: St Leonard's, St Mary’s and Dashwood. All three schools have little spare capacity.

  3. A detailed option appraisal has been undertaken which examined different ways in which the additional pupils might be accommodated, including the further expansion of St Leonard’s Primary School and/or St. Mary’s Primary School, and the closure of Dashwood School and amalgamation with a new school. The further expansion of St. Leonard’s School is considered undesirable given the current size of the school and the shortfalls in its core accommodation e.g. small hall. St Mary’s School has a limited site and would require the purchase of additional land. The closure of Dashwood School and the building of a larger school on the Cattle Market site would require considerable funds additional to those which would be generated from the sale of the Dashwood School site. The option appraisal concluded that the most cost effective solution would be to provide a new 7-class school at/by the Cattle Market site with expansion and improvement at Harriers Ground School if necessary.

    4. Land Acquisition

  4. On the basis of the standards in the Oxfordshire Primary School Brief a total site area of 1.306 hectares would be required for the new school. In view of the significant costs of providing the school and uncertainty about eventual pupil numbers (see Financial Implications below), it is necessary to take a cautious approach to its planning and development. As the first requirement is for the Council to secure sufficient site area to build the school, it is proposed that the financial contribution from the developers of the Cattle Market site under the planning agreement (£1.7m) be provided as land. This equates to 0.728 hectares. An "agreement in principle" has already been reached with the Cattle Market site developers as to the provision of this land.

  5. The balance of the land required for the school is also proposed be found partly from within the Cattle Market development area but outside the scope of the planning agreement. It is proposed that this should be leased from the developers with a 3-year option to buy. Again this has been agreed in principle with the developers. However this will not be sufficient on its own to provide all the land required for the new school. Accordingly Cherwell District Council has been approached about the feasibility of releasing an area of land in its ownership adjacent to the development area. The District Council has indicated that it would be willing to sell this land to the County Council, on a market value basis.

  6. This will provide more time for a final decision to be made on the school. If it is eventually decided not to proceed with the school development, or to pursue another option, the land acquired could be sold and any lease terminated. However, a decision on the acquisition of the land is required now because of the outstanding planning application and planning agreement for the Cattle Market site development.

    7. Financial Implications

  7. The current estimated cost of the school buildings (including the improvement at Harriers Ground) is £3.65m. The total cost of land acquisition is likely to be of the order of a further £3m. It has become increasingly difficult to calculate the number of pupils generated from the proposed developments in the area, and although it is intended that developer contributions will be sought from each of the developments towards permanent school accommodation, there is likely to be a larger number of 1 or 2 bedroom properties than previously anticipated - which will have a knock-on effect in terms of developer contributions. There is, therefore, some uncertainty about whether the costs falling on the County Council could be wholly repaid through developer contributions.

  8. Accordingly the purchase and transfer agreements under negotiation will ensure that the Council’s costs in acquiring land at this stage could be recouped at a later date through re-sale (or sale back) if not required for the school development. However, to ensure certainty over site availability, it will be necessary to pay for the District Council land over the coming months. This has been agreed at £300,000 and is the total being committed at this stage other than some fee costs.

  9. It should be noted that apart from further design work, no other work will be undertaken on this project until an agreement with the developer for the land acquisition is firm and further assessment of pupil generation is undertaken.

    10. RECOMMENDATION

  10. The Executive is RECOMMENDED to authorise the acquisition of the land for the proposed school on the basis set out in the report.

 

KEITH BARTLEY
Director for Learning & Culture

Background papers: Nil

Contact Officer: Michael Mill, Education Officer, Tel: (01865) 428161

September 2003

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