Backbencher questions £500K school spending

Richard Evans Local Democracy Reporter

A council’s leader will be questioned on a decision to use £540k to plug a school building project’s funding shortfall.

Old Colwyn councillor Cheryl Carlisle – Conwy Council’s leader – has tabled a question to leader Cllr Charlie McCoubrey about the decision process which took place before the payment was agreed for the project at Ysgol Y Creuddyn in Penrhyn Bay

Questions

In an agenda ahead of next week’s finance and resources scrutiny committee, Cllr Carlisle said: “Can you please explain what scrutiny, democratic and constitutional approval processes were given and complied with to arrive at the decision to remove £540,823.45 from the Capital Repair and Maintenance Grant and use it to plug the funding shortfall in order to commission and build a new Welsh Immersion Unit at Ysgol Y Creuddyn?”

She added: “How were head teachers, schools, governors and members consulted and informed?

“What governance was there around the cabinet approval and virement of a spend in excess of £500,000 (£540,823.45) and whether that should have come to council for approval?”

“Outcry”

The cabinet usually must consult full council before spending over £500,000.

Cllr Carlisle was approached by the Local Democracy Reporting Service ahead of the meeting, but she said she was unable to go into detail before the meeting.

The council slashed all school budgets by 5% in the last budget despite an outcry from headteachers.

The matter will be debated at the finance and resources overview and scrutiny committee meeting at Bodlondeb next Monday 13 May.