PLANS for King Edward VI School to create a new sixth form centre within the district council’s headquarters in Stratford have been given the seal of approval.
Members of Stratford District Council’s Cabinet met to consider whether to give the go-ahead to a proposal which would see KES take over the currently empty second floor of Elizabeth House on Monday (July 2).
Due to a reduction in staff numbers and increases in remote working, the council no longer occupies the whole building in Church Street, opposite Shakespeare’s former school.
Parts of the ground floor are already being sublet and the second floor is now surplus to SDC requirement. Following professional advice, subletting the second floor was considered the best option.
The move would ease space pressures on the KES’s current site and allow them to take more pupils – up to another complete class.
Following discussions, a 25-year lease has been agree, although KES has also expressed an interest in purchasing Elizabeth House should it become available.
SDC would need to make some alternations to the ground floor to separate the staff and school access from reception and form a separate customer entrance to the council’s reception directly from Church Street.
KES would pay SDC rent for the space, together with a service charge.
The main alternative option considered by officers was selling Elizabeth House. SDC would then have to search for a new headquarters in the town but there were found to be no options currently available that were deemed an improvement on remaining at Elizabeth House and subletting the surplus space.
Estate agents also suggested Elizabeth House would have a broader appeal if tenants were given the primary entrance to Elizabeth House.
But council officers felt that doing that would demote the status of SDC within the building.
Officers recommended the Cabinet approve the proposal to sublet the second floor of Elizabeth House to KES as it allows SDC to remain at Elizabeth House on a more financially sustainable basis, the income achieved could be used to support valuable services and it gives an opportunity to support a successful school within Stratford.
Councillors unanimously agreed to the plans.
