Council to engage with local community on a permanent home for The Heights

Below is the press release from Reading Borough Council on consulting residents on the possible location of the new free school, The Heights in NW Caversham. It is clear that there is a need for a new primary school in NW Caversham as there are no schools, whilst East Caversham is well served by many good schools. I am pleased that the Education Funding Agency has asked us to consult on their decision making process for the new primary school.

Council to Engage With Local Community on a Permanent Home for The Heights

21/11/2014
Reading Borough Council Press Release
THE Government’s Education Funding Agency (EFA) has written to Reading Borough Council asking for assistance in finding a community-backed permanent location for the Heights Free School.
In what is a change to their usual approach of selecting sites for free schools, the EFA wrote to the Council yesterday (Nov 20) acknowledging that the local authority was “best placed” to ensure local residents and parents were engaged and involved in helping to choose a permanent home for the Caversham school.
It follows a period of intense local opposition to the EFA’s purchase of High Ridge as a possible location for the school. The EFA’s letter to Reading Borough Council this week confirmed that it had now chosen to “defer work around the development of the site indefinitely.”
The Government-led process for setting up free schools means the EFA - not the local authority – remains the body responsible for choosing a site for and designing any permanent new school. Reading Borough Council is happy however to facilitate discussions with local residents so that – together with the local community – it can present a clear view to the EFA of where the Heights permanent location should be.
The EFA has just completed a review into possible sites for the school. The findings of the EFA review identify a number of alternative locations to High Ridge, including Mapledurham Playing Fields, which is held in Charitable Trust by the Council.
Reading Borough Council takes its responsibilities as Trustees extremely seriously. As a result, the Council has taken legal advice on how it can facilitate engagement with the local community on possible sites for the free school, while at the same time fulfilling its duties as Trustees of Mapledurham Playing Fields.
A report will go to a meeting of the Council’s Policy Committee on Monday December 1st proposing the setting up of a sub-committee of Councillors to act as Trustees of Mapledurham Playing Fields. If the recommendation is approved, this would enable the Council to independently fulfil its duty as Trustees, whilst at the same time engaging with the local community on what they think is the best possible solution for a permanent site for The Heights.
Reading Borough Council Leader Jo Lovelock said:
“I am pleased that the EFA have chosen to change their usual approach in this instance and seek the help of the local authority in engaging with the local community on a site for The Heights. That is something we as a Council are happy to facilitate, on behalf of the EFA.
“Before we can do that however, we need to be able to separate the Council’s role as Trustees of Mapledurham Playing Fields, from its responsibilities as the Local Education Authority tasked by the EFA to engage with the local community. The proposal is therefore to set up a Sub Committee of Councillors who would fulfil the Council’s responsibility of independent Trustees.
“Notwithstanding Reading Borough Council’s role in engaging with the local community on this matter, the final decision of where the permanent site for the school should be remains with the EFA, as does the final design of the school.”
ENDS

Notes for Editors:
Reading Borough Council Press Releases can be found online at http://www.reading.gov.uk/news/pressreleases/