Hampshire County Council

Buildings Land and Contracts Panel Item 10

9 December 2003

Executive Member - Policy and Resources

11 December 2003

Park Primary School, Aldershot

Report by the Director of Property, Business and Regulatory Services

1

Summary

1.1

Park Primary School is a relatively new primary school situated in the east of Aldershot near to the Hampshire / Surrey border. The school currently has 174 pupils on roll and operates a 40 place day nursery for 2-5 year olds within the existing building.

1.2

In August 2001 a strategic and implementation plan, prepared by Hampshire County Council for the proposed provision of Early Years and Neighbourhood Centres in Hampshire, was approved by the Department for Education and Skills (DfES). Subsequently, funding from the Neighbourhood Nurseries Initiative (NNI) has been awarded for six schemes in Hampshire and it is proposed that the Early Years Centre established at Park Primary School is extended.

1.3

In order to comply with the NNI criteria the existing nursery will be expanded to provide 69 places for 0-5 year olds in a new purpose designed building. In order to gain the NNI funding the criteria determines that a functioning nursery be available from 31 March 2003. This will be achieved by rearranging the accommodation within the existing school to slightly expand and reorder the nursery facility. This work will take place prior to the main building contract.

1.4

The estimated cost of the scheme is £609,000, excluding fees, of which £174,000, excluding fees, will come from the NNI. Further funding will come from the Education Committee's 2003/04 Capital Programme NDS Modernisation fund, the 2003/04 Nursery Education in Disadvantaged Areas (NEDA) budget and the 2004/05 Children's Centre programme. Further details can be found in the attached design project appraisal.

2.

Scope of the Works

2.1

The proposal is to construct a single storey extension to the northern elevation of the existing school building on an existing grass area. The extension will accommodate an Early Years Centre with four main group rooms and support and ancillary accommodation. Two of the group rooms will be created from existing accommodation within the centre, to which the new accommodation will adjoin. A full list of the proposed accommodation can be found in the attached design project appraisal.

2.2

Externally a new pathway will be created from the main entrance of the school to the new Centre and seven additional car parking spaces will be provided. Trees and shrubs will be planted around the site to harmonise the existing school and the new Centre whilst offering privacy and definition of the two areas.

3.

Procurement

3.1

An early appointment of a preferred contractor would resolve issues regarding the loss of NNI funding if the nursery is not open by 31 March 2004. The school have also requested that their accommodation be re-available for use by October / November 2004 and a speedy completion of the new facility will enable this.

3.2

It is proposed to negotiate this contract with Gregory (Havant) Ltd and it will be possible to use previous partnering schemes as a framework to quickly agree a first stage tender and programme advanced works at an early stage. Gregory (Havant) Ltd have previously successfully completed schemes at other County Council sites, which have been of a similar design and have combined with in-house teams on previous partnering projects. This arrangement was approved at the October 2003 meeting of the Buildings, Land and Contracts Panel

4.

Funding and Timing

4.1

Subject to the necessary approvals it is anticipated that work will commence on site during February 2004 and be completed during October / November 2004.

4.2

Funding for this project is as follows (excluding fees):

Education Committee's 03/04 Capital Programme:

- NDS Modernisation fund 242,000

- Nursery Education in Disadvantaged Areas (NEDA) 130,000

- New Opportunities Fund / Neighbourhood Nurseries Initiative 174,000

Children's Centre programme 04/05 63,000

609,000

Recommendation

That the Buildings Land and Contract Panel advises the Executive Member for Policy and Resources that the design project appraisal be approved.