Agenda and decisions

To receive any apologies for absence from Cabinet Members.

Apologies for absence were received on behalf of Councillors Khan, Pandor and Pattison.

To approve the Minutes of the Meeting of the Cabinet held on 31 August 2021.

Cabinet Members will be asked to advise if there are any items on the Agenda in which they have a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest, which would prevent them from participating in any discussion or a vote upon the item, or any other interests.

Most agenda items will be considered in public session, however, it shall be advised whether Cabinet will consider any matters in private, by virtue of the reports containing information which falls within a category of exempt information as contained at Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972.

The Cabinet will receive any petitions and hear any deputations from members of the public. A deputation is where up to five people can attend the meeting and make a presentation on some particular issue of concern. A member of the public can also hand in a petition at the meeting but that petition should relate to something on which the body has powers and responsibilities.

In accordance with Council Procedure Rule 10 (2), Members of the Public should provide at least 24 hours’ notice of presenting a deputation.

In accordance with Council Procedure Rule 11(5), the period allowed for the asking and answering of public questions shall not exceed 15 minutes.

Cabinet will receive any questions from Elected Members.

In accordance with Executive Procedure Rule 2.3 (2.3.1.6) a period of up to 30 minutes will be allocated.

To consider the adoption of the Elective Home Education Policy.

Contact: Diane Yates, Education Safeguarding Service

1)    That the new Elective Home Education Policy be approved and adopted;

2)    That approval be given to delegate responsibility to the Director of Children’s Services in conjunction with the Portfolio Holder for Children’s Services, to review the policy and guidance annually and make technical amendments where appropriate, allowing engagement to take place with stakeholders;

3)    That should there be new legislative requirements that would require a more fundamental change the policy would be brought back to Cabinet for approval.

To consider the adoption of the Kirklees Learning Strategy.

Contact: Chris Jessup, Head of Educational Outcomes

1)    That Our Kirklees Futures as the strategy for learning be approved and adopted.

2)    That approval be given to delegate authority to the Director for Children’s Services and the Service Director for Learning and Early Support, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Learning, Aspiration and Communities and the Portfolio Holder for Children’s Services to take forward for the Council phase one in collaboration with partners in line with proposed governance arrangements, namely The Education and Learning Partnership Board,

3)    That approval be given to monitor the impact and progress, evaluated through annual monitoring to both the Education and Learning Partnership Board and the Corporate Performance Report to Cabinet and provide an annual report to the Commission Group

To consider the delivery of a plan for the provision of special school places that will contribute to the long-term sufficiency of specialist provision as part of the wider SEND Transformation Plan.

Contact: Jo-Anne Sanders – Service Director for Learning and Early Support

1)    That approval be given for the development, design, tendering and construction of a new SEMH special school building on the Deighton site as detailed in the report with an indicative budget of £15m;

2)    That approval be given for the development, design, tendering and construction of a new C&I / Autism special school building on the site of the Almondbury site as detailed in the report with an indicative budget of £21m;

3)    That approval be given to remove the Almondbury site from the PPP1 Contract and delegate authority to the Service Director for Legal, Governance and Commissioning and the Service Director for Development, in conjunction with the Service Director for Finance, to agree to enter into negotiations with Kirklees School Services Limited to agree a Deed of Variation to the Project Agreement and authorise the Service Director Legal ,Governance and Commissioning (or authorised representatives) to enter into and execute on behalf of the Council any appropriate legal agreements ,contracts , instruments and certificates under the Local Government ( Contracts ) Act 1997 relating to the removal of Almondbury High School from the Grouped Schools PPP1 contract , subject to it remaining within the affordability parameters broadly set out in the public report and private appendix 2;

4)    That authority be delegated to the Service Director for Legal, Governance and Commissioning and the Service Director for Development, in conjunction with the Service Director for Finance, to enter into negotiations to secure the removal of the telecommunications masts in accordance with the lease(s) or by agreement with the mast providers/tenants to agree the appropriate legal and contractual lease termination and enter into and execute any legal contracts, agreements or instruments on behalf of the Council;

5)    That the current capital plan outline approval for this scheme of £28m be noted and that approval be given to the revised outline £36m allocation requirement being incorporated into updated capital plans to Budget Council in February 2022, and on the assumption of potential for external funding options to be explored as part of this outline uplift, officers will report back to Cabinet as appropriate, as costings and funding opportunities become clearer over the next 9-12 months as part of scheme development;

6)    That authority be given, at an appropriate time, for officers to undertake the required non-statutory consultation for the proposed changes to Woodley School and College, working closely with the Governing Body of the school, and prepare a consultation outcome report to be presented back to Cabinet;

7)    That authority be given for officers to work with Wellspring Multi Academy Trust, providing the support required for them to undertake a local consultation on their proposed changes to Joseph Norton Academy.

To resolve that under Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following items of business, on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information, as defined in Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act.

(Exempt information under paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972, as amended by the Local Government (Access to Information) (Variation) Order 2006.

The report contains information regards the financial or business affairs of any person including the Council. It is considered that it would not be in the public interest to disclose the information contained in the  private appendix as disclosure could adversely affect overall ability to obtain value for money, compromise the commercial confidentiality  of organisations mentioned in the report , which is considered to outweigh the public interest in disclosing information including, greater accountability, transparency in spending public money, and openness in Council decision-making)

Exempt information in relation to Agenda Item 10.