That £523,040 from the Local Authority’s School’s Condition Allocation be approved for the implementation of the Repairs and Maintenance Programme 2026-27 as outlined in the table attached as Appendix 1 to this Record of Decision.

·       The Council, as the responsible body, has a statutory duty to ensure school accommodation is fit for purpose and to address issues, above the school’s de-minimus, which could pose a risk or threat to the service users.

·       Condition surveys are commissioned every 4 years by the LA to ensure there is robust data to inform the R&M programme, the development of the programme is also supported with ad hoc specialist surveys, latest government guidance and anecdotal evidence from the schools.

·       The SCA funding is specifically allocated, and ring fenced for maintaining the fabric of the maintained school estate.

·       Ongoing costs and risks associated with managing and maintaining the school estate are mitigated.

·       Not proceeding – the LA has a statutory duty as the responsible body to ensure school accommodation is safe and fit for purpose, not proceeding is not an option.

·       The funding will be clawed back by the DfE (Department for Education) if not spent by the LA.

April 2026 – March 2027

Approval to allocate £523,040 capital funding to implement the Repairs and Maintenance (R&M) Programme for the maintained school estate held by Torbay Council.

The Local Authority (LA) receives a dedicated Schools Condition Allocation (SCA) direct from central government for the purpose of maintaining and repairing the school estate. This funding is to ensure that the buildings and site are safe and comply with the latest regulations. Suitable projects for inclusion in the R&M Programme are identified in a priority order using the latest condition survey data; only projects above the school’s de-minimus are eligible, any below are funded by the school with devolved funding.

The works in this year’s programme are a mixture of stabilising the fabric of buildings, bringing mechanical and electrical components up to current regulations and installing energy efficient solutions to support the Council’s pledge to become carbon neutral.

The programme will be funded solely through the SCA. This funding is ring fenced and the LA currently has a carry forward of £100,000 from 2025/26 and an allocation of £590,826 for 2026/27.

This is the only capital funding available to the LA to ensure the accommodation at maintained schools remains open and fully operational. The LA will, therefore, be retaining a healthy reserve available for any unforeseen issues and to act as an overall contingency for the R&M Programme as the costs provided are indicative budgets provided by property professionals. The works have not been tendered at this stage.  

As the programme of works progresses and costs are confirmed; the LA will commission additional projects using any savings and any unallocated contingency. This spending will be delegated to the Head of Education except for works above £100,000 which will be referred to the Divisional Director of Education for approval.

The LA has 3 years in which to spend SCA funding and officers ensure that this rule is not breached. 

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