Schools scrutiny "has had desired effect" - Brooks

12.01.00am GMT Thu 9th Nov 2006

Councillor Jeff Brooks, Chair of West Berkshire Council's Overview & Scrutiny Commission has welcomed the response that scrutinising the process and criteria for selecting the West Berkshire secondary school to be rebuilt has achieved.

Speaking following an update at last week's meeting of the Overview & Scrutiny Commission, Councillor Brooks commented:

"I am delighted to see that the Council's administration is finally taking this matter seriously. The involvement of external consultants in the selection procedure is a positive step in the right direction, as is eventually visiting the schools up for selection."

West Berkshire Council will receive money from central Government to rebuild one of the district's secondary schools. The school will be selected by the Council's Executive at a special meeting in the near future.

Councillor Brooks added:

"This late flurry of action has come about as a result of the scrutiny exercise I set going at the end of the summer holidays. However, this shows the positive power of scrutiny exercises. Long may it continue to galvanise this administration into action."