Issue - meetings

On 23 June 2014 Cabinet approved the publication of statutory proposals to revoke the decisions of 10 February 2014 to discontinue Sulivan Primary School and enlarge New King’s Primary School with effect from 1 September 2014.  A statutory notice about the revocation proposals was published on 30 June and the six-week statutory representation period ended on 12 August 2014. Officers reported that 51 representations were received, 47 of which supported the Council’s proposals.

Councillor Sue Macmillan noted that Sulivan School was an Outstanding School which had achieved very impressive Key Stage 2 results in the summer despite the uncertainty surrounding its status.  The change in the Council’s Housing Strategy which had placed a higher priority to provide more affordable rented housing and low cost home ownership opportunities in the borough will particularly have an impact on the South Fulham Riverside development and the need for school places in the area.  Councillor Fennimore also endorsed the comments and supported the proposal. Councillor Hamilton expressed concern about the impact of the removal of the shared ownership scheme in the area but supported the Sulivan School proposal.

Cabinet considered all the representations received and the equality impact assessment attached to the report as Appendix D.

1.            That, following full consideration of all representations received and other relevant information including the public sector equality duty and Equality Impact Assessment, and in light of the fact that, due to the change in housing policy with the aim of providing more affordable rented housing and the resultant increased demand for school places, circumstances have so altered since approval was given on 10 February 2014 that implementation of the proposals to discontinue Sulivan School and enlarge New King’s Primary School would now be inappropriate, the Council therefore resolves to revoke its earlier decisions to discontinue Sulivan Primary School and enlarge New King’s Primary School with effect from 1 September 2015 as set out in Option 2 in section 5.2 of the report.