Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to require Comer Homes to progress the delivery of the new building for St Andrew the Apostle School in Barnet.
The Department is currently paying rent to the Comer Group of £901,250 per annum, excluding VAT, for the use of buildings and outside space as the temporary accommodation for St Andrew the Apostle School.
There is no contract between the Department and the Comer Group for the construction of the school’s permanent building. The Comer Group is required by the local planning authority to provide a site for a school as part of planning approval for a residential development on their wider site.
The Comer Group has submitted a revised planning application for its proposed development which incorporates the Department’s revised school designs. Subject to the approval of planning, the Department will exchange on the site and progress the construction of the school’s new building.