Issue - meetings

The Corporate Director of Children, Education & Communities to present a report which seeks to resolve a number of land lease issues to enable the Danesgate Community to convert to academy status, as approved by the Regional Schools Commissioner.

Resolved:  (i)      That the following areas of land (as marked on Appendix C to the report) be excluded from the 125 year lease to the Multi Academy Trust:

a)   Area 1 - Road next to Triangle (grassed area)

b)   Area 2 - Triangle (grassed area) of land

(ii)      That, in respect of Area 3 (Road to south of the site) approval be given to split the road area, with the car parking area on the northern edge to remain education land and therefore included in the 125 year lease to the Multi Academy Trust (reserving a right of way over this land in favour of the council), and the remaining area of road excluded from the 125 year lease and designated a Public Right of Way.

(iii)     That in respect of Area 4 (Walled Garden) approval be given to lease this area to the South York Multi Academy Trust as part of the 125 year lease, excluding the storage facility which is currently leased to the York Museums Trust.

(iv)    That authority be delegated to officers to:

a)           where appropriate, obtain approval under Schedule 1 of the Academies Act 2010 and Section 77 of the School Standards & Framework Act to allow the transfer of land around this conversion to take place;

b)           agree future budgets when consents are obtained; and

c)           report back to Members in due course on the Public Right of Way application and process.

(v)     That, in the event that the academisation of Danesgate does not take place or is delayed, Areas 1 and 2 no longer be designated as land currently used for educational purposes and therefore be removed from being part of the site and be adopted by the council.

Reason:     In order to resolve outstanding land issues to enable the Danesgate Community to convert to academy status, in accordance with the requirement of the Academies Act not to disadvantage a school when so converting and taking into account the interests of other current users of the land.

The Corporate Director of Children, Education & Communities and the Assistant Director, Education & Skills presented a report which sought to resolve a number of land lease issues, to enable the Danesgate Community to convert to academy status and join the South York Multi-Academy Trust (MAT).

The conversion would involve a 125 year lease of land on the Danesgate site to the MAT.  Where the Council proposed to change the designation of land currently used for education purposes, Executive approval was required to exclude these areas of the land from the lease.  Four such areas of the Danesgate site had been identified, as detailed in paragraphs 10-13 of the report and shown on Appendix C. 

Both Danesgate and the MAT were in favour of the proposals, which also took account of other issues affecting the land, including the wishes of ward members to extend a proposed Residents Parking Scheme to Area 1, existing play equipment in Area 2 and the museum storage facility in Area 4.

Resolved:  (i)      That the following areas of land (as marked on Appendix C to the report) be excluded from the 125 year lease to the Multi Academy Trust:

a)   Area 1 - Road next to Triangle (grassed area)

b)   Area 2 - Triangle (grassed area) of land

(ii)      That, in respect of Area 3 (Road to south of the site) approval be given to split the road area, with the car parking area on the northern edge to remain education land and therefore included in the 125 year lease to the Multi Academy Trust (reserving a right of way over this land in favour of the council), and the remaining area of road excluded from the 125 year lease and designated a Public Right of Way.

(iii)     That in respect of Area 4 (Walled Garden) approval be given to lease this area to the South York Multi Academy Trust as part of the 125 year lease, excluding the storage facility which is currently leased to the York Museums Trust.

(iv)    That authority be delegated to officers to:

a)           where appropriate, obtain approval under Schedule 1 of the Academies Act 2010 and Section 77 of the School Standards & Framework Act to allow the transfer of land around this conversion to take place;

b)           agree future budgets when consents are obtained; and

c)           report back to Members in due course on the Public Right of Way application and process.

(v)     That, in the event that the academisation of Danesgate does not take place or is delayed, Areas 1 and 2 no longer be designated as land currently used for educational purposes and therefore be removed from being part of the site and be adopted by the council.

Reason:     In order to resolve outstanding land issues to enable the Danesgate Community to convert to academy status, in accordance with the requirement of the Academies Act not to disadvantage a school when so converting and taking into account the interests of other current users of the land.