Hampshire County Council

Executive Member Education Item 21

4 December 2003

Executive Member - Policy and Resources

11 December 2003

Winchester Early Years Centre

Report by the Director of Property, Business and Regulatory Services

1

Summary

1.1

At the 17 October 2002 meeting of the Executive Member - Education, a report outlining the proposed development to provide a new Early Years Centre on the detached Westgate School site on Bereweeke Road, was approved. Further reports providing an update of the outcome of local consultations, progress of the Early Excellence Centre bid to the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) and progress of the design of the scheme were presented at the Special Educational Needs (SEN) Panel on 31 January 2003 and 27 June 2003.

1.2

Since these meetings the Director of Property, Business and Regulatory Services has submitted a detailed planning application to the Environment Department and progressed the design of the proposed new Early Years Centre. The purpose of this report is to outline the design proposals and seek approval to the attached design project appraisal at an estimated cost of £2,244,000, excluding fees.

2.

Scope of the Works

2.1

It is proposed to construct a single storey T shaped building set back to the rear half of the site, towards the northern boundary. The building will be aligned east-west across the site with an external play area to the south of the new building.

2.2

The new building will provide four main play rooms facing south; staff, therapy and training rooms facing north; and reception, parents area and further office's facing east towards the main drop off and access area. Full details of the proposed new accommodation can be found in the attached design project appraisal.

2.3

The Early Years Centre will have a single point of access from Bereweeke Road to the south of the site. An access drive will lead from the entrance, around the eastern elevation of the building, to a turning circle in the far north east corner of the site. A drop-off lane will be positioned directly adjacent to the building and staff and visitor parking will be provided along the eastern boundary of the site.

2.4

Landscaping associated with this scheme will comprise the creation of play areas to the south and north of the main wing of accommodation. The site will be planted with trees and shrubs to the northern and southern boundaries to provide some screening of the development from the residential properties on Bereweeke Road and Bereweeke Way. Further planting and trees will line the vehicular drive through the site and encircle the main children's play area. A quiet / sensory garden will be created to the western elevation of the building and a secure dedicated play area for under 3's will be formed adjacent to the crèche at the eastern end of the building.

2.5

It is proposed that a planning agreement be entered into with Winchester City Council as a condition of the grant of planning consent restricting the use of the site as an Early Years Centre for a period of 20 years.

3.

Funding and Timing

3.1

The estimated cost of the proposals outlined in this design project appraisal is £2,244,000, excluding fees, and funding of £2,040,000, excluding fees, is anticipated to come from a range of sources as detailed below:

a) Receipts from land sales and lease surrender

b) DfES Contribution

c) Charitable contribution from Friends of Medecroft

d) Medecroft devolved capital (current and future years)

3.2

The shortfall is within 10% of the total funding, which is the same position as was reported to Members of the Special Needs Panel earlier this year. Additional inflation costs have been successfully contained within the target cost for the building. If the shortfall were not otherwise met by increased capital receipts, then these would need to be funded from the Education Capital Programme.

3.3

The value of the potential capital receipts will continue to be reviewed. There are currently ongoing discussions with the Planning Authority and a detailed development plan is being proposed. This will give more certainty of the value of the land by the time the project is tendered and a contract is due to be let. At that stage a final recommendation of funding and cost will be undertaken.

3.4

The costs of the removal of the existing temporary hardstandings, playgrounds, bus loop and subsequent reinstatement works are to be funded separately.

3.5

Subject to the necessary approvals it is anticipated that tenders will be agreed during Spring 2004 and work will commence on site during early Summer 2004 and be completed during Summer 2005.

4.

4.1

Procurement

As outlined in the Buildings, Land and Contracts Panel meeting of 25 July 2003, it is proposed to procure these works through a Framework Contractor under a partnership arrangement that will be linked to the Major Projects Framework Agreement.

5.

Sprinkler System

5.1

5.2

5.3

5.4

The County Council's policy regarding sprinklers, introduced in April 2003, requires their installation in new stand-alone buildings with the primary purpose of reducing the risk of death or injury from fire, with each project considered on its individual circumstances.

The Early Years Centre is the first project appraisal for a stand-alone building to be considered by the Executive Member Education and Policy and Resources since the introduction of this policy, providing an opportunity for a review of the implementation of the policy on the basis of a project-specific risk assessment.

Initial design work has been carried out to establish a technical solution for the potential installation of sprinklers in the Early Years Centre and this has been costed in the order of £150,000.

As a result of the risk assessment process, it is recommended that sprinklers are not included in the Early Years Centre for the following reasons:

· the building is non-residential, with daytime and early evening use only

· the single-storey design, with exits direct to outside from most spaces, ensures evacuation times are short

· although the children are very young, some with special educational needs, the relatively high staff to children ratio enables an effective fire evacuation plan to be implemented

· the building design is fully compliant with current national standards and legislation without the installation of a sprinkler system

· the building will be built to the latest constructional standards and will include a comprehensive smoke detection system, with a direct link from the alarm system to the Fire Service via an external monitoring service, ensuring a swift fire-fighting response

· the building will be evacuated well before a fire is sufficiently advanced to activate the sprinkler system in a particular room. Its installation, therefore, would make no improvement to the life safety of the building's occupants.

Formal discussions have been held with the local Fire Officer, who has agreed to this assessment in terms of the risk of death or injury from fire to the occupants. There would still be a residual risk of loss or damage to the property from fire were sprinklers not to be installed, as currently exists with all the County Council's building stock.

Recommendation

That the Executive Member for Education advises the Executive Member for Policy and Resources that the design project appraisal be approved.