To approve the business case for a new permanent building at Marlbrook Primary School to accommodate the additional pupils admitted from 2014 in response to rising numbers in South Hereford and to meet parental preference, and to agree the procurement approach to deliver the required works.

Marlbrook Primary School is rated as an outstanding school by Ofsted and has been consistently oversubscribed since 2011. In 2015 and 2016 additional permanent and temporary accommodation was provided to enable the school to take in additional children.

Funding has been identified in the council’s capital programme to enable Marlbrook Primary School to become a full three form entry school.

A design and build approach is being recommended for delivery of the extension.

The scheme will provide additional classroom and associated support spaces, as well as addressing car parking and other traffic management issues.

That:

(a)       Planning permission be sought for the permanent expansion of Marlbrook Primary School;

(b)       Subject to securing planning consent, an extension to Marlbrook Primary School to enable its permanent expansion from two forms of entry (60 pupils per year group) to three forms of entry (90 pupils per year group) and provision of additional car parking and associated works to fulfil planning and transport requirements, be approved at a cost of not more than £4,688,500;

(c)       a design and build contract is procured from one contractor to deliver the works; and

(d)       the director for children’s wellbeing be authorised to take all operational decisions necessary to implement the above recommendations within the agreed budget, including the process to procure and thereafter appoint a contractor who will deliver a design and build solution.

1.           No capital investment is made. Additional places for 30 children in reception could not be accommodated at Marlbrook Primary School in September 2019 or September 2020. The children would have to be accommodated at another school in South Wye, Hereford. For a number of years there have been more children whose parents have requested a place at Marlbrook Primary School than there are places available at the school. While there are other schools in the area that might accommodate these children, there are not sufficient places in the appropriate year groups to enable this and parental preference over a number of years has been for places at Marlbrook. There are also indications of a longer term need for places at Marlbrook and across the local area.

2.           Another mobile could be installed to provide additional classroom space. The siting of a mobile would not be considered best value as they are looked upon as temporary solutions, have a finite planning term and do not have the life span that a permanent build accommodation would have. The installation of a mobile would still require investment in car parking and traffic management works. The council’s Schools Capital Investment Strategy includes the objective that: “children are not taught in temporary classrooms”.  

3.           Design consultants could be appointed to complete the detailed design work prior to engaging a contractor which could be from a different company. This would involve two separate tender processes to appoint a design consultant and subsequently appoint a contractor once the design had been finalised. This option has been discounted due to the tight timescales to complete the build by September 2019 and it would not maximise the value of the work that could be secured from the budget allocated.