To ask the Minister of Education for an update on a new build for Bangor Central Integrated Primary School.

Mr Weir (The Minister of Education)

I thank the Member for his question. Through Fresh Start funding, my Department is delivering a hugely significant capital investment of almost £10 million in Bangor Central Integrated Primary School. The business case was approved by the Department in July 2020 and identified the preferred option of a new-build school on a new site on the Balloo Road in Bangor. The project will provide a brand new single-storey school with modern facilities, fully compliant with my Department’s school building handbook. The school will be built on a new site 1·7 miles from the existing school in an easily accessible part of the town, with sufficient room for future expansion. The construction work will be able to take place without causing any disruption to the ongoing operation of the school. In July 2020, the Education Authority (EA) appointed an integrated consultant team to undertake the design, and that work is now in the early stages of the design process. When completed, the new facilities will enhance the provision of integrated education in the north Down area and support the future growth of the sector.

Mr Weir

If the Member is talking about transport, there is an entitlement for free school transport to be provided if children live beyond a certain distance from their school. It should be said that, because Bangor Central Integrated Primary School is the one integrated primary school in Bangor, it does draw from a fairly wide catchment area. As the Member will be aware from the response to the question for written answer that he submitted, the two main wards in the centre of Bangor represent about a third of the pupils who go to Bangor Central, with the other two thirds coming from outside that area. To some extent, the new build will shift, perhaps, the emphasis or the location, but, as happens on all occasions, any movement that children need to make will be catered for.

Miss Woods

The Minister will know that I have many questions on this, but, for now, can he outline what consultation was done with the school, the board of governors, and the parents about this move as well as with the wider community? Will he commit to meet me, a group of parents and interested parties regarding the proposed school move?

Mr Weir

I am always happy to meet the Member. I have met some interested parties on this. There was a project board for each of the Fresh Start projects, and that involved the school directly. Consultation and discussion took place. If the issue is about the location, we should remember that there are at least three separate issues on that. First, the statutory duty on the Department is to integrated education, not to a specific site or location. Therefore, when looking at this, it is about what is in the best interests of the sector as a whole. Secondly, from the point of view of a business case and public costs, this has a considerable difference from simply building on site at the current location. The Member should also be aware that projects funded by Fresh Start capital require Treasury sign-off, so it is not simply a matter of what the Department feels and, indeed, is about providing a situation that gives best value for money. Thirdly, looking at integrated education more broadly, there will be more room for the school at its new site. So if, for instance, an additional unit needed to be added to the school, there would be an opportunity for that to happen at a future point, whereas accommodation space at the Bangor Central site, which I am very familiar with, is much more limited. All those factors need to be considered. I am happy to meet the Member to discuss those, but she should be aware that the decision on location has been taken.

Mr Chambers

Minister, I certainly welcome the investment in my constituency. I understand that the board of governors and the staff of the school fully support the move, but there seems to be a body of resistance building against the move. Has your Department had any sense of that?

Mr Weir

It is natural that people see the history tied up with a particular site when a school is moving to a different location. As I indicated, if we were to provide a neighbourhood-specific site for every school that would not be an appropriate way of dealing with it. It is perfectly natural, and I suspect that most people, if they are linked with a particular school, will have a particular emphasis on its location. As the Member mentioned, the project board and the governors have accepted it. There is also, as I have indicated, a wider commitment in terms of a business case and what is provided to the Treasury in relation to it. It is also the case that, because of the pressure on places in Bangor across the board, even at primary sector level, there is no question of displacement that will create problems, largely speaking, elsewhere, because there is really not much, if any, spare capacity in the system.

Mr Principal Deputy Speaker

Question No 2, in the name of Mr Andy Allen, has been withdrawn.