Most community users of St Crispin’s Leisure Centre look set to retain usage when final plans for its future are confirmed on Thursday.
Wokingham Borough Council’s community and corporate overview and scrutiny committee met on last night (Tuesday) to consider an update report.
The meeting heard how the council is facing a severe shortfall in the predicted number of secondary school places it will require.
Under plans that are set to be given the go ahead by the executive, Wokingham Borough Council will grant a 125-year lease to The Circle Trust, a charitable organisation that operates the neighbouring school, to provide 55 extra places per year over the next six years.
Highlighting the shortfall in provision, Wokingham Borough Council’s director of children’s services, Helen Watson, told the meeting that 49 pupils received ‘no offers’ for the 2023/24 academic year.
She said: “We were one of only 13 local educational authorities nationwide with this issue.”
The council has a legal obligation to provide school places for every child resident in the borough, either within local schools, or sending children to the nearest available school outside the borough.
Graham Ebers, Wokingham Borough Council’s deputy chief executive and chief finance officer, said: “This decision is ultimately about us demonstrating we are making the right value for money consideration.”
Subject to approval from the executive committee tonight, Wokingham Borough Council will make a £1 million contribution to The Circle Trust to enable them to make necessary changes to provide the additional places.
That expenditure will be funded from the secondary schools expansion budget that was already approved as part of the council’s 2023/24 capital programme.
A legal agreement between Wokingham Borough Council and The Circle Trust will ensure space will be allocated for existing and future community uses outside of school hours.
Ebers added that information showed that only 11 players currently use the centre for squash during the school day, and these would be the only members of the public who will need to find an alternative location to continue their activities.
Ginny Rhodes, chief executive officer of The Circle Trust and former head of St Crispin’s School, said her organisation was looking forward to working with the council.
