Property Services Highlights of 2022

Dec 28 2022

Top left: detail of The Boathouse at Sir Harold Hillier Gardens, Bottom left: Barton Farm Primary Academy, Middle: The Cedar Rooms, Right: Nightingale Lodge
Top left: detail of The Boathouse at Sir Harold Hillier Gardens
Bottom left: Barton Farm Primary Academy
Middle: The Cedar Rooms
Right: Nightingale Lodge

From the restoration and redevelopment of historic sites to important work in carbon reduction, Hampshire County Council Property Services have continued to deliver a wide variety of exciting and important projects.

The County Council declared a climate emergency in June 2019 with a target to bring carbon emissions in Hampshire down to net zero by 2050, and we undertook some significant projects working towards this goal, such as our Grant funded Phase 1 Decarbonisation Programme.

The sites covered include both corporate and school sites and represent a commitment to carbon reduction across the portfolio of properties that form part of the County Council's estate. Not only will this work reduce carbon emissions, but it will also help financially, mitigating against the impact of rising energy costs.

What we achieved:

But it didn’t stop there. Our energy team undertook a variety of works, including providing funding for the Solar PV and Battery Storage and the installation of electric vehicle charging points at the Barn at Barnfield, River Hamble Country Park, and launching a new electric vehicle charging point framework.

The Southern Region Electric Vehicle Charging Framework, run by the County Council, was retendered, and is helping local authorities to install more electric vehicle charge points - there is no charge for an initial feasibility study. The new framework covers a wider geographical area and will play an important role in supporting the uptake of electric vehicles.

Looking ahead, planning is underway for future decarbonisation works across the estate, including the viability of heat pumps, ensuring the journey towards Net Zero continues.

Another important area of our work is in supporting Hampshire’s schools. Among the projects delivered were the state-of-the-art Deer Park secondary school on behalf of the DfE for the Wildern Academy Trust; and St Francis Special Needs School in Fareham where improvements included four new classrooms, a new library, hygiene rooms providing specialist toileting facilities, and toilets, alongside interventions and alterations to the existing building and landscaping. This transformation has improved the wellbeing of pupils and staff.

It’s always wonderful to have our work acknowledged, and we celebrated award success. Barton Farm Primary Academy won a RIBA South Award 2022, and Stoneham Park School won a LABC Awards ‘national’ award for Best Public or Community Building category.

Four projects were recognised by SPACES Awards - Petersfield Museum and Hamilton School in Reading, both highly commended and shortlisted for Civic Building of the Year 2022 - these projects were included in the SPACES yearbook with Cornerstone Church of England Primary School, and Jermyn’s House Restaurant and tearooms in Sir Harold Hillier Gardens.

Top left: Jermyn’s House Restaurant and tearooms, Top right: Hamilton School Reading, Bottom left: Cornerstone C of E Primary School, Bottom right: Petersfield Museum
Top left: Jermyn’s House Restaurant and tearooms
Top right: Hamilton School - Reading
Bottom left: Cornerstone C of E Primary School
Bottom right: Petersfield Museum

In celebration of Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, Hampshire Record Office was awarded Grade II status by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport on Historic England’s advice. The building was designed by our in-house architects team and opened by The Queen in 1993. This acknowledgement is a special moment for those involved in the project, as well as those who continue to work and use the building today.

As ever, our work has remained incredibly varied. Colleagues from across Property Services helped in the preparation of the official unveiling of the statue ‘Licoricia of Winchester’ which commemorates the history of Winchester’s medieval Jewish community and its royal connections. Property Services was integral in the preparations for the visit by HRH Prince Charles for the official opening of The Arc in Winchester.

Our reactive maintenance team dealt with more than 200 jobs resulting from Storm Eunice which brought disruption and damage in February, including repairs to damage to the sea barriers and car park at Lepe, and structural damage at Calshot.

Our development surveying, planning and urban design, and accessibility teams, in partnership with Places for People Living Plus and Test Valley Borough Council (with development partner Lovell Later Living), worked to deliver a new extra care community, Nightingale Lodge in Romsey. This forms part of the County Council’s Adults’ Health and Care £45m investment in Extra Care accommodation across Hampshire supporting older people to live independently for longer.

Heritage work also progressed a multi-disciplinary project across Property Services which was the extension, refurbishment, and restoration of the Grade II Listed Cedar Rooms at Royal Victoria Country Park. The project included accessible toilets and a fully accessible Changing Place facility and energy efficient lighting and improvements to the heating and services infrastructure to help reduce the building’s impact on the environment.

The refurbishment has been a catalyst for landscape works with improved routes to the building, renewed lighting, new external seating and the creation of a Serenity Garden, offering a place of quiet contemplation for visitors to enjoy.

The value and importance of the outdoors and making use of outside space continued. Our landscape architecture team support a range of projects, working with schools to make the best use of their outdoor space for wellbeing and learning. A great example is Saxon Wood Special School in Basingstoke where the team worked with the school to transform an under-loved playground into a sensory and tactile space.

Other projects include The Boat House at the world-renowned Sir Harold Hillier Gardens, a shelter which nestles elegantly into the landscape constructed from oak and cedar shingle.

Saxon Wood Special School - Basingstoke
Saxon Wood Special School - Basingstoke

We couldn’t achieve any of this or deliver this work without our brilliant and trail-blazing team. 2022 certainly had its challenges as we came out of the Covid-19 pandemic, but the team delivered innovative and important projects and, as we look ahead, are looking forward to delivering even more ground-breaking and vital work.