Two New Primary Schools Proposed For South Cayton Housing Development

Thousands of new homes planned for the Scarborough area could trigger the construction of two new primary schools and the expansion of George Pindar School.

Two new primary schools and a secondary school expansion could be built to accommodate thousands of new homes in the Scarborough area.

Education officials have revealed that potential housing developments will require significant investment in local school infrastructure, despite an overall decline in pupil numbers across the wider county.

A proposed development of around 2,500 homes in the South Cayton Strategic Area is expected to trigger the need for two separate primary school sites. Each of these new facilities would be large enough to accommodate four hundred and twenty pupils.

Any additional secondary school places required for the South Cayton development are currently expected to be provided through an expansion of George Pindar School.

Housing growth in North Scarborough may also require additional school capacity in the longer term. However, education planners have noted that falling pupil numbers across Scarborough town mean that extra capacity will not be needed in the short term.

Because of this, grant funding is not currently being committed to North Scarborough schemes, with officials instead relying on financial contributions from housing developers.

Overall pupil numbers attending maintained schools and academies are forecast to fall by more than three per cent between now and the end of the decade. However, this decline will not be consistent, with housing hotspots facing sudden increases in demand.

North Yorkshire Council's executive member for education, learning and skills, Councillor Annabel Wilkinson, said:

"Ensuring every child has access to a school place remains one of the council's most important responsibilities.

While pupil numbers are falling in some parts of the county, significant housing growth means that the need for school places is increasing in others. We must continue to plan ahead so that families can access high-quality education close to where they live.

This programme would help us assess future needs and ensure we are ready to provide additional school places where they are required, and the proposals will be carefully considered when the executive meets next week."

Delivering new educational facilities is becoming increasingly expensive. A standard one-form entry primary school now costs between eight and nine million pounds to build.

Cost inflation in the construction sector is beginning to impact education projects, raising concerns that government funding per place will fail to keep pace with market costs.

Historically, new school places have been funded through a combination of the government's Basic Need Grant and financial contributions from developers. However, recent experience has shown that the combined amounts are often insufficient to meet the actual cost of development, especially when abnormal factors like poor ground conditions are encountered.

Future new school requirements will likely have to be approached via a free school presumption route, where the local authority retains the responsibility for delivery and funding. With the potential requirement for several new schools, education officials warn this could become a significant issue over the medium to long term.

Under the Education Act, local authorities have a statutory duty to ensure there are sufficient school places available for children of school age. Officials expect this responsibility to continue to rest with local councils, despite the changing educational landscape and the shift towards academies.

While local authorities receive funding for all categories of schools, they cannot currently compel an academy to expand to meet an increased need for places, highlighting the need for joint strategies in growth areas.

To prepare for future demand, councillors will be asked to approve more than two million pounds in funding to cover the cost of feasibility studies, detailed design fees, and statutory costs for upcoming schemes.

The proposals for the next phase of the Basic Need Programme will be considered by the council's executive committee on Tuesday, August 18.