A Kirklees Scrutiny Panel will hold a special meeting to review the decision taken by the council’s Cabinet on the future of Castle Hall School at Mirfield.


Building Schools for the Future

The council’s new partnership administration has made several decisions under the Building Schools for the Future programme, and these include a decision on Castle Hall to “Proceed to statutory notice for closure and develop short-term collaborative arrangements to maintain the quality of provision.”

This was called in for review, which means no action can be taken to implement the decision until it has been fully considered by the Children and Young People’s Scrutiny Panel.

The panel is required to review a decision within two weeks of the call in, and a meeting is taking place on Tuesday March 31 at Victoria Hall, Dewsbury Town Hall (10.30am).

The panel will focus on the grounds of the call in, as set out in the call in notice. A copy of the notice can be viewed on the council’s website at:

http://www.kirklees.gov.uk/castlehallcallin

Members of the public can submit written evidence for consideration by the panel in advance of the meeting. This can be sent to the Scrutiny and Governance Team, First Floor, Civic Centre III, Huddersfield HD1 2TG, or emailed to scrutiny.governance@kirklees.gov.uk by noon on Monday March 30.

The meeting is expected to last for most of the day. During the morning session the panel will be hearing evidence from councillors concerned about the decision and also from Cabinet members on the rationale for the decision.

From approximately 1.45pm, time has been set aside to hear evidence from local pressure groups and the public. The panel has asked that groups and individuals contact Laura Ellis at the Scrutiny and Governance Office on 01484 221916 to register that they wish to give evidence.

Cllr Beryl Smith, who will be chairing the hearing, said: “The role of the Scrutiny Panel is to review the Cabinet’s decision in light of the concerns set out in the call in. Scrutiny is a formal process and this will be a structured meeting. The Scrutiny Panel members will be asking questions of those giving evidence.

“I would emphasise that the Scrutiny Panel does not have the power to overturn the decision. However, having considered the evidence presented at the hearing, the panel can recommend that the Cabinet consider amending the decision.”


Call in notice and meeting agenda:
http://www.kirklees.gov.uk/castlehallcallin


Source: http://www2.kirklees.gov.uk/news/onlinenews/newsdesk/fullstory.aspx?id=805
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