Hampshire County Council

Buildings, Land and Contracts Panel Item No.

26 March 2003

Executive Member for Policy and Resources

10 April 2003

New Deal For Schools Condition Funding 2002/2003/2004

Report by the Director of Property, Business and Regulatory Services

1

Summary

1.1

The following decisions are sought:

That subject to the views of the Buildings, Land and Contracts Panel approval be given to:

1. The priorities and programmes for the NDS Condition Fund 2003/4.

2. The revised budget allocations for SCOLA recladding projects as detailed in paragraph 2.4.3.

2

Reason(s)

2.1

To enable the implementation of programmes of work to address condition related improvements at schools.

3

Other options considered and rejected

3.1

None.

4

Conflicts of interest declared by the decision-maker or a member or officer consulted

4.1

Not applicable

5

Dispensation granted by the Standards Committee

5.1

Not applicable

6

Reason(s) for the matter being dealt with if urgent

6.1

Not applicable

Approved by:

..........................

Date of decision:

.........................

Councillor T K Thornber

Hampshire County Council

Buildings, Land and Contracts Panel Item No.

26 March 2003

New Deal For Schools Condition Funding 2002/2003/2004

Report by the Director of Property, Business and Regulatory Services

1.

Summary

1.1

The County Council's schools Asset Management Plan (AMP) has recently been assessed as satisfactory and a further £15m of New Deal for Schools (NDS) Condition funding has been allocated to the Council to address schools AMP condition priorities for 2003/04. This is the highest allocation to any single Council and brings the County Council's total allocation of NDS condition funds to over £35m over the last three years. This additional resource should be seen in the overall context of £250m of condition liabilities identified by the County Council's schools AMP.

1.2

This report sets out:

· the progress being made against existing NDS condition programmes.

· the proposed programme of NDS condition projects for 2003/4 in line with the latest allocation of NDS condition funding and the Council's Strategy for the Built Estate.

2.

Progress Against Existing NDS Condition Programmes

2.1

Details of the NDS Condition programmes covering the two financial years 2001/02 and 2002/03 were reported to the Executive Member for Policy on 11 April 2002. The total value of these two programmes is around £20m and to date has benefited some 271 schools. Further details of these two programmes are given in Appendix 1.

2.2

Around 40% of the 2002/3 NDS Condition programme has been committed to date. The level of commitment against this programme is relatively low at this stage for the following reasons:

· the late addition of nearly £4m of additional NDS condition funding to the 2001/02 programme which had to be actioned as a priority before work could start on the 2002/03 programme.

· a commitment to support schools in order to ensure completion of school funded projects from their Devolved Capital funding - the DfES have indicated that schools are likely to loose their 2000/2001 funding allocation if it is not spent by August 2003.

· the need to redesign the recladding system for SCOLA schools to address recent changes in the Building Regulations.

· the establishment of framework contracts to procure large volumes of re-roofing works.

2.3

The DfES acknowledge that the NDS programmes are generating large volumes of work and have set their deadlines for completing annual programmes beyond the financial year in which the allocation is made. The target date for completing work from the 2002/03 Condition programme is August 2003 and it is anticipated all work in the current programme will be completed by this time.

2.4

SCOLA Recladding

2.4.1

Previous reports have been presented to the former Buildings, Grounds and Contracts Panel and the Executive Member for Policy and Resources outlining a strategy for recladding on SCOLA buildings. Reports were presented to the Executive Member for Policy and Resources on 11 April 2002 updating the position in respect of the research that was taking place with Sapa Building Systems to develop and manufacture the special components for a SCOLA replacement system that would meet the requirements of the new Building Regulations, the proposed trial arrangements, and the programme and budget allocations for projects in 2002/3.

2.4.2

Two schools have now been identified as trial projects for the new Sapa system; East Meon Primary School and Kings Furlong Junior School and work is due to be completed during the spring and summer. It is intended to review the new system over the coming months when, subject to a successful trial, further schools will be included on the replacement programme. In the meantime it is intended to procure the remaining projects in the NDS for 2002/3 through Wessex Windows using three preferred main contractors. (Approval to the procurement route has been included in the Procurement Initiatives report elsewhere on the agenda).

2.4.3

The new Building Regulations introduced in April 2002 included a number of new standards to be met including specialist glazing and thicker insulation panels. This has contributed to an increase in the cost of recladding schemes and approval is sought to increase the original budget allocations for the following schemes. The increase will be met through savings in other parts of the NDS programme and the deferring two schemes.

East Meon Primary School £233,000

Mengham Junior £440,000

Balksbury Junior £402,000

Oakridge Junior £444,000

Chineham Park Primary £396,000

Kings Furlong Junior £480,000

3.

NDS Condition Priorities for 2003/04

3.1

The DfES announced the latest round of NDS Condition Fund allocations in January 2003. The County Council has received an allocation (£15m) which represents one of the highest allocations made to a single Local Authority and compares with Essex (£12m) and Kent and Lancashire Councils (£10m each).

3.2

The County Council, through its Strategy for the Built Estate, has already established priorities for tackling improvements to its building stock through planned cyclical programmes of ongoing repairs and maintenance. The priorities include:

· Cyclical Programmes of external redecoration and repairs.

· SCOLA recladding.

· Re-roofing.

· Window replacement programmes.

· Boiler/Mechanical Systems Replacements.

· Electrical Safety.

· Fire Precautions.

· External Works and Drainage.

· Replacement infrastructure for schools

3.3

A programme of major repairs and maintenance is proposed against the above range of priorities as set out in Appendix 2. Because of the large volume of works that have to be implemented, and to meet DfES timescales for committing and spending the County Council's Condition Funding allocation, it is proposed to build on earlier procurement initiatives using the construction industry to develop rolling programmes over the next two to three years. A report elsewhere on the agenda gives details of the proposed procurement arrangements.

3.4

Infrastructure Projects

In addition to the above priorities, it is apparent at a large number of schools, particularly in the secondary sector, that expansion and enlargement is stretching services and other infrastructures to the limit. The development of major capital schemes at secondary schools will also require other infrastructure from the landlord to be replaced or reviewed. Specific allocations and timing would be contained in the relevant Project Appraisals.

Recommendation:

That: the Panel advises the Executive Member for Policy and Resources that

1. Approval be given to the priorities and programmes for the NDS Condition Fund allocation in 2003/4.

2. Approval be given to increase the allocation of NDS Condition funding to address SCOLA recladding projects as detailed in paragraph 2.4.3.