Agenda and minutes

To receive any apologies for absence.

Apologies for absence had been received from Councillors Biggins, Coles and Shirley.

To receive declarations of interest by members of any interests on respect of items on this agenda, and to consider any dispensations.

Members may however, also decide, in the interests of clarity and transparency, to declare at this point in the meeting, any such disclosable pecuniary interests which they have already declared in the Register, as well as any other registerable or other interests.  

Councillors Hall and Phillips declared an interest as they were Governors of South Walney Junior School.

Councillor Cassidy declared an interest as he was a Governor of South Walney Infant and Nursery School.

To consider whether the press and public should be excluded from the meeting during consideration of any item on the agenda.

That the press and public not be excluding during the consideration of any items on the agenda.

To consider the minutes of the previous meeting held on 18^th October, 2023. (copy enclosed).

The minutes of the meeting held on 18^th October, 2023 were agreed as a correct record.

To receive any questions or statement which have been received from members of the public and to receive any petitions.

(note questions or statement must be received in writing (including email) by the Council at least 3 clear working days before the day of the meeting (not including the day of the meeting). So, for example, if the meeting is on Tuesday requests must be received by 11.59 pm on the previous Wednesday by the person named on the front of the agenda.  Petitions must have been presented to the Monitoring Officer 9 working days before the date of this meeting to be valid).

RESOLVED: - To note that no questions, representations, deputations or petitions had been received in respect of the meeting.

To consider any urgent items of business.

Councillor Morgan stated that Following a briefing on 16 November on the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF), and subsequent member correspondence, she proposed that the Furness Locality Board write to Cabinet and the relevant Portfolio Holders for Finance and Sustainable Communities and Localities, to express their concerns about the recent decision-making process and outcomes of the UKSPF. This would also include recommendations on how the Furness Locality Board should be included in any future funding decision-making, taking account of their local knowledge.

RESOLVED: - That Furness Locality Board write to Cabinet to express their concerns about the recent decision-making process and outcomes of the UKSPF

To receive a report from the Director of Childrens' Services on the Consultation on a proposal to close North Walney Primary and Nursery School.

The Director of Childrens’ Services and the Assistant Director Quality, Resources and Transformation, Children's Services presented a report on the Consultation on a proposal to close North Walney Primary and Nursery School.

The Committee were informed that Westmorland and Furness Council was currently consulting on a proposal to close North Walney Primary and Nursery School from 31 August 2024.

Westmorland and Furness Council were concerned about the increasing pressure upon both the school’s leadership and staff to continue to provide a quality educational offer given the decline in the number of pupils at the

school and the resulting impact on the school’s financial position. Given this, the Council considered that it had a responsibility to all members of the North

Walney school community to formally consult on the school’s future sustainability.

This proposal was being presented to Furness Locality Board for the Board’s

response as part of the consultation process.

A copy of the consultation document and the associated frequently asked questions relating to the proposal had been attached as an appendix to the report.

The Local Authority recognised that it was to the credit of the school’s leadership, staff, parents and pupils that the school had continued to provide a quality educational offer during what had proven to have been a challenging

period for the school.

As of September 2023, the confirmed number of pupils on roll at North Walney Primary school was 27. The total capacity of the school based upon

the school’s current published admission number was 161.

There had been a continuous drop in numbers across all year groups over

recent years. In 2019/20 the number on roll was 84, by 2021/22 this number

had fallen to 67 with a further reduction to 22 by 2022/23. The number of

pupils on roll was predicted to remain low.

In line with national trends, the number of births in the North Walney

catchment area had reduced in recent years, as it had across Walney Island.

In addition, there was little opportunity for pupil growth from new housing

developments as a result of inward migration to the area. Given this, there was little prospect of a significant increase in pupil numbers for North Walney

Primary and Nursey School in the foreseeable future.

There were five schools within a two-mile radius of North Walney Primary

School, with four of them located on Walney Island. The Walney Island area

had a significant number of surplus places overall with the projected

percentage of surplus places projected to be at 30% from September 2024.

School budgets were directly linked to the number of children on roll at that

school. Many costs were fixed regardless of pupil numbers, and it followed that, where the numbers on roll at a school were decreasing, there was less money available to the school to support teaching and learning. This makes it

increasingly challenging for a school to provide a broad and balanced quality

educational offer. Whilst the school had taken steps to reduce costs over the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 34.