Agenda item

This report updates the Committee on the ‘Arun Secondary School Study’ update which has been undertaken in consultation with West Sussex County Council (the Local Education Authority). The study update is seeking to resolve the allocation of a sustainable and deliverable site for the accommodation of a ‘10 Form Entry Secondary School’ (with room for ‘4 Form Expansion’ and ‘6^th Form’ provision) to serve the new communities being developed in Strategic Allocations within Arun.

[Councillor Elkins declared a Personal Interest during discussion of this item as a member of West Sussex Council].

The Chair invited the Planning Policy & Conservation Manager to present the report to the Committee, advising that the Committee had deferred this item at its previous meeting held on 28 November 2023 to enable members to visit the site.

The Chair invited the Planning Policy & Conservation Manager to present the report to the Committee.  He provided details of the approach taken in the study update to review other sites, as contingency sites, should preferred  Option F not be deliverable for a secondary school.   He clarified that Site 14 was still the same site as Option L and should state it was an existing site and not a new site.  A letter has been received from Yapton Parish Council raising concerns about the siting of a secondary school at site Option F.  The council was not at a consultation stage, at this point which was to refine the number of sites down to a reasonable number. Consultation would happen if there was a need to take any of the sites forward as contingency 

The recommendation was proposed by Councillor Tandy and seconded by Councillor Goodheart.

The Chair invited questions and comments from Members.

A non-member was allowed to make comment and ask questions.  Opinion was expressed that Site 2 - Choller Farm, Barnham Lane, Barnham, was preferable due to being owned by West Sussex County Council, the Education Authority who should carry out their responsibility for school provision, for which the council should take a strong stance on.

  Discussion took place surrounding the suitability of preferred Option F.  Safety concerns were raised due to the site’s close location to several railway crossings.  Comment was made that the provision of a secondary school was not only for future need but was also for current need as there was already a shortage of school places.  The location was not served well by transport infrastructure.

Further member discussion of Site 2 - Choller Farm, Barnham Lane, Barnham which members identified the site as a suitable alternative site, due to its sustainable location, and the advantages were discussed.   The site was in the ownership of West Sussex County Council. It was served well by transport infrastructure with good train connections from Barnham, cycle route and footpaths.

At the conclusion of the discussion the Chair, and in light of the comments members had made in respect of Site 2 - Choller Farm, Barnham Lane, Barnham as a suitable site, suggested that recommendation iii. be amended to include this site so that it could be added to the list of possible alternative sites for secondary school provision. 

 The Director of Growth and Interim Chief Executive having listened to the debate, suggested that if the Committee were minded to add Site 2 - Choller Farm, Barnham Lane, Barnham, the simplest way to deal with that was for a member to  propose an  amendment to recommendation iii.  He advised that if the amendment was accepted it would become the substantive and could take the recommendations on block if they wished.

Following the advice from the Director of Growth and Interim Chief Executive, the amendment to recommendation iii was then proposed by Councillor McAuliffe and seconded by Councillor Bower, the changes can be seen highlighted in strikethrough and bold.

iii That the four  five sites (Site 14 - Site to the South of Yapton; Site 5 – Land South of Yapton Road; Site 4 - Land North of Yapton Road and East of Blossom Way; and Site 3 - Land at Maypole and North End Road and Site 2 – Choller Farm, Barnham Lane) are sites with the most potential to be considered as alternative sites as a contingency to the preferred site, subject to undertaking further work; and

Following discussion on whether to take the recommendations on block in light of their views expressed during the debate surrounding the suitability of preferred Option F, members agreed to take a separate vote on the recommendations.

Following a vote the amendment to recommendation iii, as above, was declared CARRIED.

The Chair then moved to the substantive recommendations which were each taken in turn: 

               i.       That site Option F remains the council’s preferred site for the delivery of a 10 FE Secondary School in the district;

Following a vote, it was declared NOT CARRIED

The Chair then moved a vote on recommendation ii, below, having taken procedural advice from the Director of Growth and Interim Chief Executive.

              ii.       In the absence of an allocation of the preferred site Option F within the update of the Ford Neighbourhood Plan, the council’s Local Development Scheme be updated to include preparation of a Secondary School Development Plan Document

Following a vote, it was declared NOT CARRIED

Following on from the previous amendment to recommendation iii, Director of Growth and Interim Chief Executive provided further advice on the wording of the recommendation in light of the decision to remove Option F as the council’s preferred site.

It was suggested that amended recommendation iii, be re-worded to include ‘that the four sites, plus Site 2, are sites to be considered for the secondary school within the District’.

The above amendment to amend recommendation iii was proposed by Councillor McAuliffe and seconded by Councillor Yeates.

Following a vote the amendment to amended recommendation iii, as above, was declared CARRIED.

The Committee then voted on the substantive recommendation as follows:

The Committee

    RESOLVED

  iii That the five sites (Site 14 - Site to the South of Yapton; Site 5 – Land South of Yapton Road; Site 4 - Land North of Yapton Road and East of Blossom Way; Site 3 - Land at Maypole and North End Road and Site 2 – Choller Farm, Barnham Lane) are sites to be considered for the secondary school within the District; and

Following a vote the recommendation was declared CARRIED.

Turning to recommendation iv, in light of the decision not to support preferred site (Site Option F), the Chair advised that officers had amended the wording of recommendation iv. as follows, the changes can be seen highlighted in strikethrough and  bold:

iv.            Should the preferred site (Site Option F) not proceed, fFollowing the further work and consultation with West Sussex County Council and landowners, officers, a report back to this Committee at a future meeting, will consider the alternative best performing site for the Secondary School, so that the formal legal process can continue.

The above amendment to amend recommendation iii was proposed by Councillor Bower and seconded by Councillor Long.

The Chair then moved to the vote the amended recommendation was declared CARRIED

The Committee

    RESOLVED that

iv. Followingthe further work and consultation with West Sussex County Council and landowners, officers, a report back to this Committee at a future meeting, will consider the alternative best performing site for the Secondary School, so that the formal legal process can continue.