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Submitted report by the Chief Executive
on a Call In Request received in respect of the decision taken by Cabinet at
its meeting on 12 December 2017 in relation to the report on the Reinstatement
of School Transport for Cumbrae Pupils - Largs Ferry Terminal to the New Largs
Academy. A copy of the Cabinet report
was provided at Appendix 1 to the report.
The Cabinet, at its meeting on 12
December 2017, considered a report on the transport arrangements of Cumbrae
pupils travelling to Largs Academy.
Currently the Cumbrae pupils are transported from Millport to Cumbrae
ferry slipway and make their own way from the Largs ferry slipway to Largs
Academy. The distance from the Largs
ferry slipway to the new Largs Campus is one mile and is well within the
walking distance of three miles for secondary pupils, as outlined in Sections
51 (a) and 42 (4) of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980.
The Cabinet agreed (a) to make no
change to the current arrangements from Millport to Cumbrae Ferry slipway, but
not to provide the transport arrangements for Cumbrae pupils from the Largs
ferry slipway to the new Largs Academy; and (b) otherwise to note the terms of
the report.
A briefing paper by the Executive
Director (Education and Youth Employment) was circulated and provided
information on the Council's current policy on (i) the Provision of School Transport, which is
in line with Section 51 (a) of the Education (Scotland) Act; (ii) the current
transport arrangements for pupils from Cumbrae; and (iii) the decision of
Cabinet on 12 December 2017 not to reinstate the transport arrangements for
Cumbrae pupils from the Largs ferry slipway to the new Largs Academy. The paper also outlined the on-going tender
process for the school transport contract to Largs Academy, which includes an
option to include prices for an unbroken journey from Cumbrae to the new
campus.
A request was received in terms of the
Call In procedure set out in the Council's Scheme of Administration and
Standing Orders, that the Audit and Scrutiny Committee examine the decision
taken by Cabinet.
The Call In Request, which was signed
by Councillors Ferguson, Gallacher and Stephen,was in the following terms:-
Reason for Call In
There was a commitment made to
ensure the safe transportation of Island children when the Junior Secondary
School closed in the 70’s ever since Cumbrae pupils have been transported by
bus from Largs Ferry Terminal to Largs Academy.
The children live more than 3
miles in total from Largs Academy.
Island parents were promised this
service would run when the new school opened.
Finally, Cabinet agreed on the
same day to put children and young people at the heart of everything the
Council does – I would argue that this is contradictory policy if there is no
bus provision for the children and young people of Cumbrae.
Desired Outcome
I would like to see that the
promises which have been made by the Council to the parents of Cumbrae are
honoured and ensure that there is a bus provided from Largs ferry slip to the
new Largs Academy when it is opened for the children and young people of Cumbrae.
The Head of Democratic Services
summarised the procedure for considering the Call In Request and set out the
circumstances surrounding the Cabinet decision.
Thereafter the Members who had
requested the Call In were invited to speak.
Councillor Ferguson expressed the view that the Cabinet's decision on 12
December 2017 reneged on a promise given to parents that the transport from the
Largs ferry slipway to the new Largs Campus would be reinstated from April
2018. He considered the Cumbrae pupils'
journey to school was unique in North Ayrshire in that it involved a walk, bus
journey, ferry journey and a further walk to the school. He stated that no pupil on Cumbrae lives less
than 3 miles from Largs Campus and Scottish Government legislation states that
secondary pupils do not have to walk more than 3 miles between the school and a
pupil's normal residence.
Councillor Murdoch as a local Member,
addressed the Committee in support of the Call In. He displayed a video he had taken whilst
travelling the route from Cumbrae to the new Largs campus. His journey started at the helipad in Cumbrae
to the bus stop and involved a bus journey to the pier, a ferry journey to
Largs slipway and a walk from the slipway to the construction gate entrance to
the new academy. He highlighted that the
walk from the slipway to the academy was not the safe walking route, but the
quickest route available and that he arrived at the school entrance at 8.57
a.m. During winter months and inclement
weather, parents on the mainland have the option to drive their children to
school. This option is not available to
the parents on Cumbrae and not only will the Cumbrae pupils arrive at school
late each day, on occasions they will be soaking wet.
Angela McCallum and Phil Lonsdale,
Cumbrae Community Council addressed the Committee in support of the Call
In. They referred to the outcome of the
consultation on the new Largs campus that school transport would be provided to
Cumbrae pupils from the Largs slipway to the new campus from April 2018 and
that this had been confirmed in a letter from the Executive Director (Education
and Youth Employment) in September 2017.
Parents on Cumbrae are concerned that without this transport their
children will not be given equal education opportunities, as they will be late
for school each day and also for exams which start at 9.00 a.m. Reference was made to the average weight of
a school bag, which at 8 - 9 kilos (minus PE kit) could cause issues for children
with medical conditions such as diabetes and asthma if a bus is not provided
and they had to carry this from the slipway to the new campus. They referred to the Islands Bill which will
include the preparation of an Islands Community Impact Assessment and guidance
from the Child Law Centre that young people should travel for no more than 75
minutes in reasonable comfort. Cumbrae
secondary pupils leave home early in the morning and return home after 5.00
p.m. and some pupils will have a total journey of 135 minutes each school day.
The Chair then invited Councillor Bell,
as the Education portfolio holder to address the meeting. Councillor Bell clarified the decision that Cumbrae pupils
would not be transported from Largs Ferry Slip to school had been taken 5 years
ago. Accordingly, Cabinet had considered the issue of whether the extra
distance to the new school required transport. However he accepted that the
Cumbrae secondary pupils' situation and journey is not the same as that of
mainland secondary pupils. It is now
proposed that the on-going tender process for the school transport contract to
Largs Academy, include prices for an unbroken journey from Cumbrae to the new
campus. This is currently being assessed
and will incur an additional cost to the Council. On that basis he agreed that
Cabinet could reconsider its decision.
Councillor Hill, seconded by Councillor
Marshall moved to accept the terms of the Call In. There being no amendment, the motion was
carried.
Accordingly, the Committee agreed to
(a) note the on-going tender process for the school transport contract to Largs
Academy, including prices for an unbroken journey from Cumbrae to the new Largs
campus; and (b) recommend to Cabinet that transport for Cumbrae pupils from the
Largs slipway to the new Largs campus is reinstated.
The
meeting ended at 2.30 p.m.