(a)

the educational establishments within the proposed structure included maintained infant, junior, primary and special schools and academies;  

(b)

the co-operative trading company through its partners as shareholders would work together to deliver efficient, economic, viable and sustainable services committing budgets to provide fair access to services for all and for the benefit of all; 

(c)

it was proposed that the trading company would be 51 per cent Council owned and 49 per cent owned by schools and would be a company limited by share. 

(1)

subject to final due diligence checks and negotiations with schools, the Education Catering Service is created as a Local Authority Trading Co-operative Company jointly owned with schools with effect from 1 September 2014, in order to -    

(a)

put school food production and service at the heart of schools;

(b)

allow for cost effective and efficient delivery of services with appropriate freedoms to secure additional business and back office support;

(c)

ensure delivery of statutory requirements of school food;

(d)

demonstrate that services can be delivered in a truly co-operative way at nil cost to the Council incorporating the full co-operative model and ideals into the governance and Board;

(2)

the final decision is delegated to the Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Public Health in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Finance and the Assistant Director for Finance, following officer advice on the degree of risk after the completion of due diligence, the outcome of negotiations with schools and implementation planning.