'Broken promises' prompt call for more SEND funding across Central Bedfordshire

A few large schemes continue to dominate Central Bedfordshire Council’s capital programme, according to a report to its budget full council.

These including the requirement to provide more school places, the switch from three- to two-tier education, and special school provision for children and young people, said the report.

Proposing the amendment to the capital programme, Conservative Heath and Reach councillor Mark Versallion called for £15.5m extra investment in school places for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

The money would be spread over two years of the four-year capital programme, with £7.75m in 2026/27 and 2027/28 to be used across Central Bedfordshire to provide more SEND and additionally resourced provision (ARP) places, while recognising the particular pressure to achieve a satisfactory outcome at Ivel Valley School and College in Biggleswade.

“I’m glad the executive made an amendment to its own proposal, but it didn’t go far enough,” warned councillor Versallion. “It’s not just morally the right thing to do. Financially, this will save our taxpayers money.”

The Central Bedfordshire SEND Action Group urged councillors to support the amendment, saying on social media: “The non-statutory three- to two-tier restructure by CBC mustn’t legally or justly come before every child’s statutory right to an education.”

Central Bedfordshire Community Network Stotfold councillor Kathryn Woodfine said: “This is about broken promises, one such promise being to build Ivel Valley School.

“It’s about the children’s services scrutiny committee being told in October we’d get all the numbers, all the money and all the facts in December. The school place plan is still to be brought forward, so that promise has been broken.

“This is sending a message to officers that we want in-county SEND places. For too long we’ve been breaking up families and sending people away into residential education. Someone from my ward goes to Scotland.

“For too long children have had to spend hours in the back of taxis, as they get ferried to and from their schools. That’s their childhood, which they’re not getting back. And for too long parents have had to supervise education other than at school (EOTAS), leaving jobs and making them economically inactive.”

Executive member for children’s services and Independent Leighton Linslade South councillor Steve Owen brought a motion to CBC’s executive last month, putting more money into the capital programme in years three and four, although not for 2025/26.

“This amendment adds no extra money to the finance I persuaded the executive to add to the budget,” he explained. “This latches on to that funding and is seeking to tag it.

“It wouldn’t bring forward those two big capital projects, at least not in any substantial way. This is seeking to predetermine the allocation of that money, when the final capital programme is produced in the next three or four weeks.”

The amendment was passed, with 44 votes in favour, two against and ten abstentions.