Archived decisions
HAMPSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL
BUILDING DESIGN PROJECT APPRAISAL |
EDUCATION BUILDINGS ADVISORY GROUP
14 NOVEMBER 2003
EXECUTIVE MEMBER - EDUCATION
4 DECEMBER 2003
BUILDINGS LAND AND CONTRACTS PANEL
9 DECEMBER 2003
EXECUTIVE MEMBER - POLICY AND RESOURCES
11 DECEMBER 2003
PROJECT: |
WINCHESTER EARLY YEARS CENTRE | |
NEW EARLY YEARS CENTRE | ||
COMMENCEMENT DATE: |
SPRING 2004 | |
COMPLETION DATE: |
SUMMER 2005 | |
PLANNED YEAR OF START IN ACCORDANCE WITH CAPITAL PROGRAMME: |
2003/ 04 | |
RECOMMENDATION:
That the building design project appraisal for the scheme to provide a new Early Years Centre at the Bereweeke Road site, Winchester be approved.
1. FINANCE
Capital Expenditure |
Current Estimate £'000 |
Capital Programme £'000 |
Buildings |
2,244 |
616 |
Fees |
359 |
99 |
TOTAL |
*2,603 |
715 |
* The means by which the majority of the difference between the Current Estimate and the Capital Programme allocation is to be met can be found in the table below. The balance of the shortfall if not met by increased Capital Receipts would need to be funded from the Education Capital Programme.
Furniture and Equipment: subject to the County Education Officer's assessment of need with the Headteacher, together with the availability of funding, a furniture and equipment allocation will be made from the block vote in Education's Capital Programme in the appropriate financial year.
Financial Provision for Total Scheme |
Buildings £'000 |
Fees £'000 |
Total Cost £'000 |
1. From Committee's own Resources: |
|||
a) Capital Programme 03/04 |
616 |
99 |
715 |
b) Capital Receipts and lease surrender |
1,276 |
204 |
**1,480 |
c) Friends of Medecroft |
95 |
15 |
110 |
d) Medecroft Devolved Capital |
53 |
9 |
62 |
TOTAL |
2,040 |
327 |
2,367 |
** The total Capital Receipts and lease surrender is £1,560k but £80k is allocated to F&E
Anticipated Devolved Capital allocations £
2002/03 21
2003/04 13
2004/05 14
TOTAL 48
Landlord Funded Work connected with this Scheme
There are no landlord funded works being undertaken as part of this scheme.
Value of Land already acquired for this Project
The land is currently affected by planning policies restricting its use. However, due to its location, it is possible that intensification of recreational uses, eg synthetic turf pitch, or the introduction of commercial uses, will be approved in the long term. On this basis, the hope value of this site is relatively low.
Given the absence of any suitable alternative site for the Early Years development, the opportunity cost of acquiring land would be substantial.
Building Cost - Net Cost = £1,614 per m2 (excluding abnormals)
- Gross Cost = £2,603
Revenue Implications
(a) Employees £'000 |
(b) Other £'000 |
(a+b) Net Current Expenditure £'000 |
(c) Capital Charges £'000 |
(a+b+c) Total Net Expenditure £'000 | |
Revenue Implications Additional+ /Reductions |
- |
- |
- |
125 |
125 |
Unit cost (£) (e.g. per place) |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
% variation to Committee's budget |
- |
- | |||
Number of additional Staff (fte) |
- |
- |
(a) Energy Costs
Upon completion of these works it is anticipated that the annual fuel cost of the new Early Years Centre will be in the order of £3,900 per annum, £3.77 per m².
(b) Maintenance Costs
The detailed design and choice of materials will minimise future maintenance liability.
2. STATEMENT OF NEED/JUSTIFICATION FOR PROJECT
The proposed Early Years Centre will provide sufficient accommodation to allow the closure and relocation of both Medecroft Opportunity Centre (currently housed on the King Alfred College site) and the pre-school group on the St Bede's Primary School site.
This is in line with the County Council policy of seeking to provide inclusive Early Years Centres.
DETAILS OF SITE
LOCATION
The new Winchester Early Years Centre will be located on the Westgate School detached playing field site at Bereweeke Road, Winchester.
ADJOINING LAND AND BUILDINGS
The proposed site of the Early Years Centre is bounded by Bereweeke Road to the south with Peter Symonds' College and housing beyond. To the north is Bereweeke Way with the site of Greenacres School and housing beyond. To the east is a sports pavilion and an open grassed playing field and to the west is further housing.
AREA INCLUDING COMPARISON WITH LOCAL/NATIONAL STANDARDS
The total site area for the Early Years Centre is 1.04 ha. There are no DfES guidelines for the site area required for an Early Years Centre, although it is estimated that a minimum of 0.6 ha is necessary for this centre as briefed.
As this development is an exception to normal planning policies, it is appropriate to use the whole of the site to create a landscape setting which will benefit both pupils and the neighbouring properties.
PLANNING POSITION
A formal detailed planning application was submitted to the Environment Department during August 2003. Following consultation, both Winchester City Council and Sport England have confirmed that they do not wish to raise objection to the proposal. There have also been no objections received from local residents. It is anticipated, therefore, that planning approval will be granted by the County Council's Regulatory Committee on 26 November 2003.
SUITABILITY FOR PROJECT
These proposals will provide a new inclusive Early Years Centre which will provide nursery and pre-school facilities for the greater Winchester area, in particular to those parts which have social and economic deprivation.
The proposals outlined is this appraisal have been prepared following extensive and detailed consultation (including public meetings) with all interested parties including local residents, City Councillors, Department for Education and Skills (DfES).
The views and concerns of those present at public meetings have been considered and, where possible, have been incorporated into the design proposals.
RESULTS OF TRIAL BORE HOLES
A site investigation carried out in October 2002 showed that ground conditions consist of topsoil overlying structureless and structured chalk of the Upper Chalk Formation to the full depth of the trial pit. Accordingly, conventional shallow strip footings are proposed with a ground bearing slab, with frost-heave preventative measures required during construction in winter.
ACCESS
The vehicular and pedestrian access point to the site will be from Bereweeke Road at the south of the site. In order to minimise the disruption from vehicles using the site to those residents living in the surrounding area it is proposed that this be the sole entrance to the site and that all vehicular drop off, turning and parking is accommodated within the site.
COMMENTS ON SITE LAYOUT
The site of the proposed new Early Years Centre is rectangular in shape and the new building will be positioned to the rear of the site away from Bereweeke Road to the south.
The building will be of a T shape design with the main nursery/playrooms facing south and a suite of therapy, staff and multi-purpose rooms facing north. The main entrance, parents' room and drop-off areas will be located in the wing to the east.
The site entrance from Bereweeke Road will lead vehicles around the eastern elevation of the building to a turning circle positioned in the far north east corner of the site. Drop-off areas will be located adjacent to the eastern elevation of the building and parking will be along the eastern boundary of the site.
The children's play area will be to the south of the building and will be defined by a fence with tree and shrub planting. Further grassed areas and a line of trees along the boundary of Bereweeke Road will create a new frontage to the site.
A second landscaped area will be created to the north of the building which may be used for external adult training, functions and additional play areas.
MAINS SERVICES POSITION
All mains services have been provided to this site for the temporary classrooms which have accommodated St Bede's Primary School whilst the re-building and repair work was undertaken to the St Bede's School buildings in Gordon Road, Winchester.
MAINTENANCE IMPLICATIONS
The site will be maintained in accordance with current County Council standards.
LANDSCAPE PROPOSALS
Landscaping associated with these works will comprise:
- planting of trees along the northern and southern boundaries of the site to provide some screening of the development from the residential properties on Bereweeke Way to the north and Bereweeke Road to the south of the site
- planting of trees and shrubs along the vehicular and pedestrian routes to the building
- creation of children's external play area to the southern elevation of the building with further trees and planting to define this area
- formation of quiet area/sensory garden to the western elevation of the building
- construction of outdoor training terrace, therapy terrace/events area and staff outdoor area to the north of the building
- creation of secure under three's external play area adjacent to the under three's crèche in the south east corner of the building
- the use of grassed mounds and linear earth bunds as both play features in the children's garden as a form of acoustic screening of noise frm passing traffic on Bereweeke Road
4. THE PROPOSEDBUILDING/RATIONALISATION/CONVERSION
TYPE OF PROJECT, LAYOUT AND FACILITIES PROVIDED
It is proposed to construct a single storey building which will provide the following accommodation:
Main wing - south facing:
- four playrooms
- two wet/art areas
- multi-sensory room
- two SEN hygiene rooms
- soft play room
- day care/rest room
- a separate work room for autistic children
- WCs and changing areas
- a number of teaching stores
Main wing - north facing:
- staffroom
- staff WCs
- multi-purpose hall
- physiotherapy/occupational therapy room
- speech and language therapy room
- kitchen
- staff store
- mobility aid store
East wing:
- under 3's drop-in/crèche
- reception
- staff office and store
- administration office
- Headteacher's office
- parents' room
- toy library
- training room
- plant room
PLACES PROVIDED
55 pre-school places, full time equivalent (25 SEN/30 mainstream).
PRESENT/REDUNDANT BUILDINGS AND FUTURE USE
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.
TEMPORARY BUILDINGS
The proposed site is currently being used to accommodate the Hampshire Music Service in temporary buildings. These buildings will be removed from site following completion of the refurbishment works at their new premises, prior to construction work commencing on the Early Years Centre.
SITUATION ON SITE AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
The new Early Years Centre has been carefully designed to minimise any adverse environmental effects to the site and surrounding area. Where possible materials have been chosen that will match or compliment the form and materials of the surrounding residential buildings.
The site will be improved by the planting of trees and shrubs along the northern and southern boundaries which will provide some screening of the new building from the residential properties on Bereweeke Road and Bereweeke Way.
TYPE OF CONSTRUCTION, FINISH AND APPEARANCE
The proposed new accommodation will be of a traditional construction with facing brickwork and timber boarding under a steeply pitched roof with a plain clay tile roof covering.
Windows and doors will be double glazed and set within timber and aluminium frames.
ACCESSIBLE FACILITIES
The building will be single storey and will have level access throughout to facilitate access by non-ambulant users. Thresholds at the entrances and throughout the building will be level, with no external steps, to enable complete accessibility to all areas of the building. All doorways are to be sufficiently wide for access by those in wheelchairs.
Assisted WCs and two SEN hygiene rooms will be provided in the new building for the children, together with an adult accessible WC for disabled visitors and staff.
HEATING AND VENTILATION SYSTEMS
A new gas fired boiler serving a low pressure hot water system feeding radiators and under floor heating will be installed in the new building.
Ventilation will be by natural means via opening windows, with mechanical assistance to the WCs, hygiene, kitchen and some therapy areas.
SPRINKLER SYSTEM
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 Members of 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.
ENERGY EFFICIENCY OF BUILDING
The estimated annual energy consumption for the new building will meet that required by Building Regulations.
ALTERNATIVE STANDARDS OF PROVISION CONSIDERED
The proposals outlined in this design project appraisal have been developed following detailed consultations with all interested parties.
The choice of the Bereweeke Road site as the preferred site followed an extensive search for suitable locations to accommodate the Early Years facility in the Winchester area.
CAR PARKING
The car parking bays for staff and visitors will be positioned along the eastern boundary of the site away from any residential properties on Bereweeke Road and Bereweeke Way. An access road, turning circle and dedicated drop-off area will be provided within the site boundary to ensure the safety of the children and to eliminate road congestion on Bereweeke Road.
CONSULTATIONS
The following have been consulted during the development of the project: Westgate School Governors, County Education Officer, Winchester City Council, Director of Environment, Estates Practice, Sport England, Executive Member - Education, Special Educational Needs (SEN) Panel, Local County Councillor, Department for Education and Skills (DFES), local residents, Access Officer, local Fire Officer.
5. THE BUILDING DEVELOPMENT
These proposals will provide a high quality, purpose designed building which will meet the specialised needs of the user group. The building has been designed and site layout defined with consideration to the surrounding environment.
6. BUILDING MANAGEMENT
CLEANING
Arrangements similar to those at Medecroft will apply.
CATERING
Arrangements similar to those at Medecroft will apply.
7. FURNITURE AND EQUIPMENT
From the block vote in the Education Committee's Capital Programme.
8. STAFFING
There will be no changes to staffing as part of this scheme.
9. FEES
Architectural Services Property Business
Quantity Surveying and Regulatory Services
Electrical and Mechanical Engineering
Structural Engineering Giffords