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1. |
Summary |
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1.1 |
At the 12 December 2001 meeting of the Executive Member - Policy and Resources approval was given to the provision of a new Social Services Day Services building in Alton. Approval was also given to the sale of the site of the existing Day Services in Chawton Park Road, Alton, which has been potentially identified for residential development, and use of up to 100% of the resultant capital receipt for the construction of a new Day Services building. |
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1.2 |
This course of action has been necessitated by the changes in the service provision which means that the existing building has become functionally obsolete. Part of the building is currently used as a Pupil Referral Unit which will require relocation and the remaining two-thirds of the building is occupied by the Day Services. The building, which is 30 years old, will require major maintenance work in the near future. |
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1.3 |
Following an exercise by the Director of Property, Business and Regulatory Services (Estates Practice) alternative premises has been identified to the rear of the Social Services Area Office at Park House, Alton. This site offers a more central location for the Day Services building and releases the existing site for disposal. |
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1.4 |
The Director of Property, Business and Regulatory Services has progressed the design of the proposed new Day Services building and the purpose of this report is to outline the proposals and seek approval to the attached design project appraisal. |
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2. |
Scope of the Works |
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2.1 |
The Day Services accommodation for adults with learning disabilities has been specifically designed to cater for those who may have high support needs. The proposed new building will offer specialist, purpose built facilities and will be of a single storey construction. Due to the variation in levels on this site it will be possible to excavate part of the site and create a lower ground car park to provide appropriate car parking facilities for the whole site. |
2.2 |
The upper floor accommodation will provide a large multi purpose activity space, entrance with seating / waiting area, administration office, interview room, kitchen, group room, managers office, resource room, changing room with shower and hoist, laundry, WCs, link corridor, stairs and lift to lower floor. The lower floor accommodation will accommodate the plant room, an entrance lobby, chair/general store, bin store, communication store, cleaners store and a car park. A new drop-off point for mini-buses at this level will be created which will remove four existing car parking space, but the new car park will provide 13 new spaces. There will, therefore, be an overall increase of nine car parking spaces for both the Day Service and the Alton office. One of these spaces will be an accessible space and one will be for a mini-bus. |
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2.3 |
The main entrance to the building will be from the east and visitors will access the building via the lift from the lower ground floor. A mini bus drop-off area and parking bay will be created adjacent to this entrance and a new pedestrian access will be formed to the west from Rack Close Road. A courtyard garden will be established above the car park with direct access from the building. The courtyard garden, which can be used for outside activities during the warmer months, will mainly be hard paved with areas of raised planting and seating. |
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2.4 |
The Day Service has been designed with accessibility in mind throughout. There will be a dropped kerb setting down point, generous enough to allow a number of taxis and mini-buses to wait and this feeds into wide, clearly lit and prominent entrance protected by a canopy. All entrances converge on a well lit reception desk central to the whole building. Access from all levels will be provided by the lift and all thresholds will be flush, all corridors will be a minimum of 1.8m between walls and all doorways will be wider than standard. Ironmongery is to be colour contrasted and signs will be large and distinct. Artificial lighting is to be colour corrected, high frequency, dimmable fluorescent lighting. All WCs and the shower will be fully accessible. |
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2.5 |
Security of the site and proposed new building have been carefully considered and every effort has been made to provide adequate safety and security measures. Site security will include the retention of a card operated barrier system, already used by the Area Office staff, at the vehicular entrance to the east of the site and the installation of a lockable gate from Rack Close Road. The design of the internal layout of the building will allow the administration office to have views to the main entrance and lift area and the activity room. |
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3. |
Agenda 21 Design Strategy / Sustainable Development |
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3.1 |
The Agenda 21 environmental policy statement for property states that buildings should be developed with consideration to environmental issues at all stages of the life cycle of the building and its components including conception, briefing, design, procurement, construction, use and ultimate disposal. The building has been designed to fulfil, wherever possible, the requirements of the Agenda 21 environmental policy statement and has been identified as a potential "flagship building" for the County Council. |
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3.2 |
The building is to be naturally ventilated and all artificial lighting will be high efficiency fluorescents. Recyclable or recycled materials and non-solvent based low odour paints will be used throughout. The building will be `super-insulated' using a thick layer of cellulose insulation and all windows are to have high performance double glazing. Timber is to be rated as being obtained from a sustainable source by the Forest Stewardship Council. A system of `rainwater harvesting' is to be used to supplement the mains water required to flush the toilets and the toilets themselves are to be a low-flush water saving type. Solar collectors are to be fixed to the roof of the activity room to supplement the energy required to supply the building's hot water and the main heat source of the building will be from energy efficient gas fired condensing boilers which will reduce the heating and water supply costs. The building will meet all the requirements of the new Building Regulations of insulation and heat loss. |
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4. |
Funding and Timing |
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4.1 |
The estimated value of the Chawton Road site is £1,000,000, subject to the grant of planning consent for housing development, and 100% of this capital receipt will be retained for the construction of the new building. Therefore, £862,000, excluding fees, has been allocated for the proposed works in the Social Services Committee's 2002/03 Capital Programme. |
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4.2 |
Further funding has been identified for this scheme from the sale of the surplus part of the Aldershot Day Services site. The capital receipt of £259,000, excluding fees, will be made available in the Social Services Committee's 2002/03 Capital Programme, with £152,000, excluding fees, being used to part fund a major scheme at Havant Day Services with the remaining £107,000, excluding fees, being used to part fund this project. This course of action was agreed at the 12 December 2001 meeting of the Executive Member - Policy and Resources. |
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4.3 |
The total available funding for these works is £969,000, excluding fees, and subject to the necessary approvals it is anticipated that tenders will be invited during July 2002 and work will commence during September 2002 and be completed during July 2003. |
Conclusion |
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The proposed new Day Service will provide purpose built specialist accommodation in a more centrally located site in Alton. Approval is accordingly sought to the attached building design appraisal. |
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Section 100 D - Local Government Act 1972 - background papers The following documents disclose facts or matters on which this report, or an important part of it, is based and has been relied upon to a material extent in the preparation of this report and attached appraisal. NB the list excludes: 1. Published works. 2. Documents which disclose exempt or confidential information as defined in the Act. TITLE FILE Building Management System reports, Property, Management & Site surveys and investigations, Information File - PB&R Architect's plans Executive Member - Policy & Resources - 12 Dec 2001. EMP&R0402i |
