Agenda item

Councillor Waddington submits a report to enabling Cabinet to decide whether to approve the establishment of a City Academy on the site of the former Mary Linwood Secondary School by the Church of England and their industry partner. The report also sets out a number of other updates on the proposals. Cabinet is recommended to consider a number of proposals outlined in the report.

The relevant minute extract of the Education and Lifelong Learning Scrutiny Committee held on 11 January 2005 is attached.

Councillor Willmott submitted a report asking Cabinet to decide whether to approve the establishment of a City Academy on the site of the Mary Linwood Secondary School by the Church of England and their industry partners. The minute extract from the Education and Lifelong Learning Scrutiny Committee held on 11 January 2005 had also been circulated.

It was reported that the outcome of negotiations with the DfES on the proportion of any proceeds of the sale of Southfields/Newry schools that the Council keep for outdoor sports facilities were still not known.

RESOLVED:

(1)That the establishment of a City Academy on the site of the former Mary Linwood School be supported,

(2)that the transfer of the Mary Linwood site to the sponsors subject to detailed negotiations and agreement be supported,

(3)that as Cabinet wished to support the proposal, and had approved the transfer of the Mary Linwood Site to the sponsors, that subject to the Council obtaining the necessary statutory disposal consents, Cabinet agree that::

(i)                 the Town Clerk be authorised, in consultation with the Cabinet Members for Finance and Regeneration and Property and the Corporate Director for Education and Lifelong Learning, authority to negotiate and agree appropriate terms for the transfer of the site and the proposed joint use arrangements for the Linwood playing fields to the Academy (or the vehicle formed for the purposes of holding this site for Academy purpose)

(ii)               that the Head of Legal Services be authorised to enter into the formal documentation necessary to complete the disposal,

(4)that the disposal of the Southfields/Newry Schools site be approved as follow:

(i)                 to offer the site for sale at a nominal undervalue, to the Leicester Lift Company having first option to purchase the site for primary care facilities, and

(ii)               if satisfactory cannot be agreed with the Leicester Lift Company the site be offered on the open market, after the preparation of supplementary planning guidance for the disposal of the site prior to marketing,

(iii)             delegate to the Town Clerk and Corporate Director of Education and Lifelong Learning, in consultation with the Cabinet Members for Finance and Regeneration and Property to select the preferred purchaser and subsequently agree the detailed terms of the disposal,

(iv)              authorise the Head of Legal Services to enter into the formal documentation necessary to complete the proposal,

(v)                delegate to the Town Clerk, in consultation with the Leader and Cabinet Member for Education, to agree with the DfES the relevant proportion of the capital receipt from the sale of the site that can be used to provide sports facilities for the local community and/or the Academy, and

(5)that Cabinet make support for the Academy conditional upon the DfES allowing the Council to retain an acceptable proportion (to be decided by the Town Clerk, in consultation with the Leader and Cabinet Member for Education) of the proceeds of sale of Southfields/Newry to invest in outdoor sports facilities,

(6)that officers be authorised to work with Aylestone Park Football Club and request that the Town Clerk submits a further report on the outcome of these discussions in due course.