Handshake no heads

Emergency meeting called to agree transfer of Cowes Enterprise College

Members of the Isle of Wight council Executive are being called to an Extraordinary meeting next Wednesday (16th July) to agree the transfer of Cowes Enterprise College to Ormiston Academies Trust.

Papers released yesterday outline the reason for the emergency meeting. Agreement on the terms of the transfer to the Trust have been delayed due to outstanding matters on completion of the new school building.

Ormiston still keen
Although the extent of the works needed for repair and completion the building is still not fully known, Ormiston have indicated they still wish to go ahead with the transfer on 1st September.

In order to ensure this happens, members will be asked next week to approve the following recommendations.

On the basis of the information contained in this report it is recommended that the council adopts options (i) and (ii):

(i) Agree to the freehold transfer of the land and premises at Cowes Enterprise College and as shown in appendix 1 to Ormiston Academies Trust.

(ii) Confirm the Commercial Transfer Agreement with Ormiston Academies Trust.

Because of the time constraints, with the approval of the chair of the Scrutiny Committee, Cllr Geoff Lumley, the ‘Call in’ option has been ‘disapplied’.

Closed early?
Last month some parents were left in confusion after both the Ofsted and the Dept for Education Websites declared that Cowes Enterprise College was closed.

Click on images to see larger version

CEC Closed on Ofsted website 11th June:

CEC Closed on DfE website 11th June

After raising a query with Ofsted – they initially told us that if the Website said the College was closed, then it was closed – it was confirmed the closed status was an error and it was rectified.

Public welcome
Members will be meeting from 5pm in the council chamber. Members of the public are welcome to attend.


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Cynic
10, July 2014 4:36 pm

More taxpayers’ assets to go into private pockets! What is the development value of the freehold being transferred gratis?

Cynic
Reply to  Cynic
10, July 2014 5:39 pm

As a quick estimate, the development value of the 10ha. being given free to Ormiston is worth today between 8 and 20 million pounds . (The resurgent housing market pushed has green field land values up by 11.2% in the South East.) (Could be a nice little earner for somebody especially when Gove’s minions (in Westminster and on the Island) are saying that there are surplus places… Read more »

Cynic
Reply to  Cynic
10, July 2014 5:39 pm

has pushed

Tosh
10, July 2014 4:41 pm

Do not hand anymore of our schools over to these academies until they can get there own house in order, over the past few years these academies have driven down the education of our children.Can some one tell me why we the tax payers have to hand over not only the school buildings,but also the land around them? just so they can sell of the land to… Read more »

Peter Daws
10, July 2014 5:09 pm

The legal consequences and implications of transferring the freehold prior to the mutually agreed and accepted completion of works would be vast. Please IW Council take proper legal advice on this matter before proceeding, I know you are keen to see the school come out of the mire but rushing this in order to keep OAT sweet would be an additional mistake in this sad and sorry… Read more »

mat
10, July 2014 5:16 pm

No, No, No, No, No, No…..Don’t allow this to pass !!!

Black Dog
10, July 2014 5:27 pm

Is Scrutiny fit for purpose? They appear to roll over at the touch of a button. The devil is always in the detail and I sense a conflict in the Financial/Budget Implications: 12. States “Executive agreed to utlise the existing budget allocation for undertaking works” 13. States “The council is not committing itself to any additional expenditure” Can the council actually tell us how much money whether… Read more »

mosey
10, July 2014 5:39 pm

I don’t understand. Does this mean that the freehold is transferred for nothing? How is it that anyone can take freehold ownership of a multi-million pound development with the land it sits on for nothing? I seriously do not understand this. What about the money this Council has had to put into it. Is there no return on this? Am I missing something here?

Old Knobby
Reply to  mosey
10, July 2014 7:52 pm

You’re missing the important point that Council will be paying to fix the building first, and then hand it over for nothing. Can anyone explain how this is advantageous to the tax payer, the stundents and staff, or, indeed, the council themselves? Because I can’t see it.

greenfiremouse
11, July 2014 12:04 am

More family silver down the drain… (But that is how the Academies’ principle was designed in the first place!). The interesting thing about this is that school staff, again, are first informed about this by the Press, not the leadership team who must have known about this. The still officially ruling Trust and the related Governing Body are only conspicuous by their absence. And if this scrapes… Read more »

Billy Builder
11, July 2014 8:09 am

Why are the IOW Council giving this building away. The normal process with regards to school building being transferred to Academies would be to assign a long lease, say 125 years so that in the event of the academy turning up its toes the asset reverts to the Council. Who’s advising the Council in this matter ?

In despair
11, July 2014 9:06 am

The ruling classes are “having a laugh”.

Cynic
Reply to  In despair
11, July 2014 10:48 am

(Hums the old song)

“The working class can kiss my @rse,
I’ve got the foreman’s job at last!”

:-))

Cynic
Reply to  Cynic
11, July 2014 12:18 pm

(For those who don’t remember or don’t know, the ditty is sung to first two bars of the “Red Flag” tune.)

davidwalter
Reply to  Cynic
11, July 2014 1:07 pm

Albert, I’ve often wondered why people – well, some people – say that. “For those who don’t remember or don’t know”. After all there is no difference, surely? Other than “think otherwise”, of course. Weird. Funny the things we say without thinking…

Cynic
Reply to  davidwalter
11, July 2014 2:08 pm

Don’t remember= vagaries od age
Don’t know= too young to remember

davidwalter
11, July 2014 11:37 am

The Ruling Class? That was a good film. Peter O’Toole plays Lord Jack Gurney as a paranoid schizophrenic (made before the days of political correctness so don’t watch if you are under fifty or are non-PC-intolerant). Jack believed he was Jesus Christ and spent much of his day on his cross, conveniently mounted on his library wall. Very funny, very unkind to their Lordships and Ladyships, and… Read more »

Colin
11, July 2014 2:00 pm

I suspect that this saga has many more years of life in it and we will still be discussing the shambles years into the future as it costs us more and more. Eventually, people will come to realise that the academies are all about making money for the owners at the expense of education. Why indeed would it be anything else? Private enterprise is all about profit… Read more »

bridget
14, July 2014 4:07 pm

I don’t understand why the Council is planning to give away a valuable public asset for nothing when there is no government requirement to do so. Official advice to councils in this situation so to provide a lease on the land and buildings. (usually 125 years) https://www.gov.uk/government/…/land_transfer_advice_april_2013.pd Leasing is enough to allow Ormiston to run the school so it seems reasonable to view any move to unnecessarily… Read more »

bridget
15, July 2014 11:36 am

The report is wrong. The Academies Act 2010 does not say that the Council must hand over the freehold to Ormiston. It gives the Council the option of granting a lease instead.

watchdog
Reply to  bridget
15, July 2014 11:51 am

Bridget: if what you say is correct, then councillors ought to be apprised at once, as it is just one more example that the Council’s Legal Department is not fit for purpose.

Billy Builder
Reply to  watchdog
15, July 2014 12:00 pm

Bridget is certainly correct. The normal course of action is to award a 125 year lease.

davidwalter
15, July 2014 12:10 pm

Any member of the public may, of course, ask the Executive tomorrow the question… “Was the Committee aware that….”

bridget
Reply to  davidwalter
15, July 2014 5:32 pm

I thought you had to submit questions 48 hours in advance. Is that true?

davidwalter
15, July 2014 6:08 pm

Oral questions are normally allowed if booked up to 10 mins before the start of the meeting. Meetings vary so check the agenda but the Full Council meeting tomorrow has rules: http://www.iwight.com/council/committees/mod-council/Arrangements%20for%20Submitting%20Oral%20Questions.pdf At first sight I cannot see rules for tomorrow’s Extraordinary Executive. You’d have to look at that committee constitution. Probably best to ask it at the Full Council, I think? Others may know better than… Read more »

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