Issue - meetings

To receive and consider the Primary Place Strategy for the Borough.

Piers Brunning, Senior Specialist (People and Place) presented the Primary Place Strategy report which was set out in agenda pages 119-160.

Piers Brunning stated that the Primary School Places Strategy 2018 was adopted by the Council’s Executive on 28 June 2018.  He explained that the Council had a duty to ensure there were sufficient school places and a detailed infrastructure plan which sat alongside the planning strategy.

Piers went through the report, below are some of the points he highlighted:

·           The planned new secondary school, Bohunt, was now open, there was ongoing work to deliver the planned new primary schools;

·           The Shinfield West primary school was ready for use in 2016, but was not required that year.  Although 30 children had to be diverted to schools out of the area on offer day, parents found alternative places for their children in established schools in surrounding communities before the start of the new school year in that September.  This school was expected to open in September 2019, it was being temporarily used for Council offices;

·           Two more primary schools were planned: Matthews Green Primary and Arborfield Primary, both were on target to open in 2020;

·           Due to the extensive number of new houses being built in the Borough, there were many new families moving in who would need school places;

·           The strategy considered the school placement needs in the next three, five and ten years;

·           It had been identified that there was pressure points in the Wokingham Town West, South West and Woodley;

·           The strategy was likely to change in the future and would continue to be reviewed;

·           Woodley required additional provision, initially at least as bulge accommodation for September 2020, leading into permanent accommodation if the raise in population is sustained.  This pointed to a need for a local working party of key stakeholders to agree how to address this issue.

Councillor Bray stated that what had been done in Winnersh had worked well, there had been collaborative work which had involved the Parish Council, parents and other stakeholders.

Councillor Helliar-Symons suggested publicising the new school in Shinfield through the Parish Council.

RESOLVED That:

1)     The Committee requested an update report at the end of this municipal year;

2)     The update report will include the application number analysis.