Hillingdon Council Cabinet Member and Officer Decisions
New Allocation & Capital Release of S106 Contributions 2026/27: Whitehall School Amalgamation Project - CR 5
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Democratic Services Location: Phase II DDI: 01895 277655 CMD No: 2026/1822 To: COUNCILLOR EDDIE LAVERY CABINET MEMBER FOR FINANCE COUNCILLOR SUSAN O’BRIEN CABINET M EMBER FOR ADULTS, CHI LDREN, HEALTH & CARE c.c. All Me mbers of th e Corporate Resources & Infrastructure Select Committee c.c.Dan Kennedy, Corporate Director of Residents S ervices c.c. Nikki Wyatt / Gary Binstead, Residents Services Date: 14 October 2026 Non-Key Decision request Form D New allocation & Capital Release of S106 contributions 2026/27: Whitehall School Amalgamation - CR 5 Dear Cabinet Members, At tached is a report requesting that a decision be made by you as an individual Cabinet Member. Democratic Services confirm that this is not a key decision, as such, the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2012 notice period does not apply. You should take a decision on or after Thursday 22 October 2026 in order to meet Constitutional requirements about publication of decisions that are to be made. You may wish to discuss the report with the Corporate Director before it is made. Please indicate your decision on the duplicate memo supplied and return it to me when you have made your decision. I will then arrange for the formal notice of decision to be published. Ani sha Teji Democratic Services Title of Report: New allocation & Capital Release of S106 contributions 2026/27: Whitehall School Amalgamation - CR 5 Deci sion made: Reasons for your decision: (e.g. as stated in report) Alternatives considered and rejected: (e.g. as stated in report) Signed ……………………………………………………… Date…………………….. Cabinet Member for Finance / Cabinet Member for Adults, Children, Health & Care Executive Decision Report Select decision-maker Wednesday, 14 October 2026 Classification: Part 1 Public Page 1 New allocation & Capital Release of S106 contributions 2026/27: Whitehall School Amalgamation - CR 5 Cabinet Member Lead Cabinet Member for Finance (Cllr Lavery) Consulting Cabinet Members Cabinet Member for Adults, Children, Health & Care (Cllr O'Brien) Chief Officer responsible Dan Kennedy, Corporate Director of Residents Services Report author Nikki Wyatt / Gary Binstead, Residents Services Report classification and reason Public For General Release Relevant Committee Corporate Resources & Infrastructure Electoral Ward Uxbridge 1. Executive Summary The purpose of this report is t o seek Cabinet Member approval to allocate and release £50,000 from the S106 contribution held by the Council at EYL/245/40K towards costs associated with the amalgamation of Whitehall School, as detailed within this report. S106 contributions relate to specific planning agreements and must be in spent in accordance with the corresponding legal agreements. The recommendation will enable S106 funds accrued through new development to be spent to max imum effect for local communities in accordance with the legal agreement and Council priorities. The Council continues to implement a strategic programme aimed at merging separate Infant and Junior Schools to create all -through Primary Schools in line with the amalgamation policy agreed by Cabinet in October 2022. This initiative is designed to ensure long term financial stability, strengthen educational continuity, streamline operational delivery, and improve pupil outcomes. The Local Authority acknowledges that schools undergoing amalgamation may require specific capital investment to modify their facilities specifically as a result of amalgamation. To support this, a capital grant of up to £50,000 is being proposed to contribute towards essential building works, or other capital expenditure directly associated with the amalgamation process. Executive Decision Report Select decision-maker Wednesday, 14 October 2026 Classification: Part 1 Public Page 2 2. Recommendation(s) That the Cabinet Member for Finance, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Adults, Children, Health & Care: 1) Approve the allocation of £50,000 from the S106 contributions held at EYL/ 245/40K to be used towards improvement works associated with the amalgamation of Whitehall School; and 2) Approve the capital release request of £50,000 towards the Whitehall Schools amalgamation works, as outlined in this report (Appendix A). 3. Reasons for decision In accordance with the Council’s Constitution, the allocation of Section 106 (S106) funds is required to be formally approved by the Cabinet Member for Finance on a case- by-case basis – and any capital release, in conjunction with the relevant Cabinet port folio holder. This report requests the approval for the S106 funds held at the case reference detailed in this report to be committed as outlined in this report. The recommendations outlined in this report will enable external S106 funds to be spent to maximum effect to provide viable improvements for the benefit of local communities. The Local Authority acknowledges that schools undergoing amalgamation may require specific capital investment to modify their facilities specifically as a result of amalgamation. To support this, a capital grant of up to £50,000 is being proposed to contri bute towards essential building works, or other capital expenditure directly associated with the amalgamation process. Both the Cabinet Member for Adults, Children, Health & Care, and the Cabinet Member for Planning, Housing & Property have been consulted and endorse the proposal. 4. Proposal S106 Planning Obligations Planning obligations, or S106 agreements, are an established mechanism for mitigating planning effects arising from development proposals. The agreements are usually negotiated within the context of planning applications, between local planning authorities and persons with an interest in the piece of land (owners, leaseholders or developers). They are intended to make development acceptable, which would otherwise be unacceptable in planning terms. Any S106 monies generated from planning agreements must be spent on their intended purpose and ensure that the associated development contributes to the sustainability of the area by addressing the impacts of the development proposals. As a result, expenditure of S106 funds must relate to a specific development and must be in accordance with the corresponding legal Executive Decision Report Select decision-maker Wednesday, 14 October 2026 Classification: Part 1 Public Page 3 agreements. If a contribution is not used for the intended purpose or not spent within the period allocated in the S106 agreement, the monies may need to be returned. School Amalgamation Programme The London Borough of Hillingdon continues to implement a strategic programme aimed at merging separate Infant and Junior Schools to create all-through Primary Schools in line with the amalgamation policy agreed by Cabinet in October 2022. This initiative is designed to ensure long term financial stability, strengthen educational continuity, streamline operational delivery, and improve pupil outcomes. Schools undergoing amalgamation may require specific capital investment to modify their facilities specifically as a result of amalgamation. To support this, a capital grant of up to £50,000 is being proposed to contribute towards essential building works, or other capital expenditure directly associated with the amalgamation process for Whitehall school. Recognising the financial challenges currently faced by schools, the Local Authority is committed to providing targeted support. The proposed funding will help to contribute towards costs which are a direct impact of amalgamating the schools, such as integrated servers, new signage etc, ensuring that educational standards and organisational stability are maintained throughout the transition. Whitehall School: Cabinet approved the proposal to amalgamate Whitehall Infant School and Whitehall Junior School in April 2026. This process followed the statutory guidance Making significant changes to maintained schools and Opening and closing maintained schools and the school has now opened as Whitehall School for pupils aged 3 to 11. Proposed S106 allocation This report requests that £50,000 from the s106 education contribution held at case reference EYL/245/40K and outlined in Appendix B, is allocated and spent towards works associated with the amalgamation of Whitehall Infant School and Whitehall Junior School. The funding will enable essential building works, or other capital expenditure directly associated with the amalgamation process for Whitehall school. Table 1 below provides an indicative set of works and costs amounting to £50,523. The school will carry out the works and a payment of £50,000 will be made to the school as a one- off grant payment towards the costs, following confirmation of the completion of works and copy invoices. Executive Decision Report Select decision-maker Wednesday, 14 October 2026 Classification: Part 1 Public Page 4 Table 1: Cost Plan WHITEHALL SCHOOL AMALGAMATION AMOUNT CCTV and Access Control £40,373 Playground rail removal and fence removal (expansion of playground area) £2,345 School Site Signage £4,223 Telephone system alignment £3,582 Total £50,523 It is considered that the proposed works will enhance the provision at the Whitehall School as a direct result of the amalgamation of Whitehall Infant School and Whitehall Junior School, delivering long term viability for the future of the school. With Whitehall Infant School and Whitehall Junior School amalgamating to become Whitehall School from September 2026, there will be seven remaining pairs of Infant and Junior schools in Hillingdon. It is intended that any future school amalgamations that come forward in line with the policy will also be funded from S106 education contributions where appropriate (or other revenue streams) up to the value of £50,000. 5. Corporate implications Financial (mandatory) Y Equalities impact assessment Legal (mandatory) Y Workforce Alternative options (mandatory) Y Public Health Risk management (mandatory) Y External partners Asset Communications Procurement Committee comments Planning Digital Climate Change Other a) Financial S106 2025/26 Budget £198k; Previously Released £22k; Capital Release Requested £50k - Appendix A The report seeks the allocation and capital release of £50k from the S106 contribution held at EYL/245/40K relating to The Old Vinyl Factory, Blyth Road, Hayes towards the amalgamation of Whitehall Infant School and Whitehall Junior School to enable essential building modifications. The schools will carry out the works and payment will be made to the school as a one- off grant payment following confirmation of the completion of works and copy invoices. The additional cost above £50k will be met by the newly amalgamated Whitehall Primary School Executive Decision Report Select decision-maker Wednesday, 14 October 2026 Classification: Part 1 Public Page 5 The release of £50k will enable the project to progress. The proposals meet the conditions stipulated by the developer in the S106 agreement on the intended use of the S106 contributions. The remaining £28k of the S106 contribution is subject to the S106 allocation and capital release process. b) Legal Legal Services has considered the content of the Section 106 agreement referred to in this report and concludes that the recommendations presented are consistent with the terms of the respective agreements. c) Alternative options Alternative Options Rationale for rejecting option Look for an alternative project towards which the funds could be legitimately allocated and spent within the terms of the corresponding legal agreement. The scheme proposed meets the terms of the relevant legal agreement and can be delivered within the prescribed time limit for spending the contribution. Do nothing If the S106 funds are not allocated and spent towards an appropriate scheme, the unspent funds may need to be returned to the developer and no mitigation delivered. d) Risk Management Risk Mitigation Low risk : The project is not delivered prior to the spend deadline within the S106 legal agreement. The spend of S106 funds post allocation is monitored through regular updates with spend officers to ensure delivery. Where a project cannot be delivered in line with the initial recommendations, they may be reallocated subject to time constraints. All contributions cannot be spent until they are allocated and therefore the biggest risk remains doing nothing. 6. Consultation & engagement Executive Decision Report Select decision-maker Wednesday, 14 October 2026 Classification: Part 1 Public Page 6 Any decision to initiate consideration of a school amalgamation would constitute the preliminary stage of the formal statutory process involving consultations. Subsequent discussions would only proceed once one or more relevant triggers have been reached, in accordance with the Council’s policy and the Department for Education’s statutory guidance for maintained schools, Making significant changes to maintained schools and Opening and closing maintained schools – or, in the case of academies, Making significant changes to an academy and Closure of an academy by mutual agreement following a conversion to academy status of any maintained school (see Convert to an academy: guide for schools - Guidance - GOV.UK). 7. Timetable for implementation If the Capital release is approved the proposed works will be completed before end of March 2027 Appendix Status and reason Public Appendix For General Release Appendix A – Capital release request Capital Funding for Amalgamated Schools – Whitehall School. Appendix B – Details of S106 contribution to be allocated Executive Decision Report Select decision-maker Wednesday, 14 October 2026 Classification: Part 1 Public Page 7 Appendix A - Capital Release Request S106 Capital Release 2026/27: Capital Funding for Amalgamated Schools – Whitehall School - CR 5 Location Project / Expenditure Title Information Funds Release Sought £000’s Approve Hold More Information Required Whitehall School Capital Funding for Amalgamate d Schools Contribution towards capital expenditure related to the amalgamation of Whitehall Infant School and Whitehall Junior School 50 Total seeking release 50 Previously released 22 Budget 198 Remaining budget 126 Appendix B – Details of S106 contribution to be allocated Executive Decision Report Select decision-maker Wednesday, 14 October 2026 Classification: Part 1 Public Page 8