Archived decisions

Hampshire County Council

Executive Member - Education Item

23 March 2006

Wyvern Technology College, Fair Oak

Report by the Director of Property, Business and Regulatory Services

How the conclusion in this report fits with the Corporate Strategy

This scheme will impact on the delivery of all Corporate Aims, focusing most immediately on:


Aim 5 - improving services: all users of the school will benefit from the greatly improved vehicular and pedestrian external circulation, accessibility and car parking arrangements.

1

Summary

1.1

Wyvern Technology College is located at Fair Oak and the school catchment serves Fair Oak, Bishopstoke, Horton Heath, Upham and Durley. At present there are 1,310 children on roll. The original school buildings were built in 1966 and are of a SCOLA construction. Further accommodation has been constructed on the site over the years and includes mainly traditional build, with some additional SCOLA bocks. The most recent addition is a major sports development completed in 2005.

1.2

A scheme has been developed to remodel the school frontage to improve access and provide additional parking. The development plan also includes external works to Fair Oak Infant and Fair Oak Junior School which shares the site with Wyvern Technology College. This work is necessary because of the significant congestion for cars and pupil circulation on site. This represents a potential Health and Safety risk. The total estimated cost of the scheme is £533,599, excluding fees.

1.3

The Director of Property, Business and Regulatory Services has designed a scheme which can be undertaken in distinct and obvious phases of work, which will enable the schools to continue to operate without major disruption for lengthy periods.

1.4

The purpose of this report is to outline the design proposals seek approval to the proposed external works.

2

Scope of the Works

2.1

Work has already been undertaken, as phase one of the overall site development, to provide new external pedestrian footpaths linking Wyvern Technology College with Fair Oak Infant and Junior Schools. This was funded from the Children's Services 2005/06 Capital Programme. These works have been completed and are operating well.

2.2

Phase two of the development aims to further improve the vehicular and pedestrian circulation to the shared campus, to improve site health and safety and to provide additional car parking bays for Wyvern School and Fair Oak Infant school. Work will also include the demolition of the existing caretaker's bungalow which has been vacant for some time and has recently become the target of vandalism and arson attacks. Permission for these demolition works, with an estimated cost of £10,000, excluding fees, to be undertaken as an enabling contract to this second phase of works was given at the October 2005 meeting of the Executive Member for Education and the demolition works are programmed to be carried out at Easter.

2.3

Work to Wyvern School will include improving the vehicular access from Botley Road, to the east of the site, to enable two way vehicular circulation and reduced traffic speeds. The existing coach drop-off will be extended and a new turning area provided. The adjacent pedestrian pathway will be widened and separated from the vehicles on the site and pedestrian priority crossing points will be established. A new 3m wide footpath will be created from Botley Road to provide a safe route to the school entrance away from traffic.

2.4

It is proposed to provide 50 additional car parking bays for Wyvern School (including two new accessible bays) by extending the existing car park. This will reduce the current pressure on parking elsewhere on the site. Further works will include improved lighting and signage to compliment the proposed new external works, along with landscaping of the site to include planting of new trees, under planted with hedges to enclose and further separate the pedestrian areas. New low grass verges to the vehicular areas will help to maintain visibility and aid site safety.

2.5

Three new car parking bays, to include two disabled bays, will be provided for the Fair Oak Infant School by extending the existing car park to the south. New lighting will serve the extended car park. The existing turning head will be slightly repositioned to enable a new pedestrian footpath.

2.6

It is also proposed to incorporate a number of Schools Access Initiative (SAI) funded items and Policy and Resources funded items into this phase of works. It is proposed to locally amend existing approach routes and points across the site to assist accessibility generally. Works will include ramping, hand railing, relaying paving and improving existing footpaths. There are a number of known storm and foul water drainage issues which will be addressed as part of the scheme. This will achieve economies of scale and will have the added benefit of avoiding conflict between differing contractors working on site, particularly in view of the restricted access caused by the entrance development works.

3

Planning

3.1

A detailed planning application is due for submission during March 2006.

4

Procurement

4.1

Procurement arrangement is under consideration and will be reported to the April 2006 meeting of Buildings, Land and Procurement Panel and Executive Member for Policy and Resources if necessary.

5

Funding and Timing

5.1

Funding of £533,599, excluding fees, has been identified for these proposals, as follows:

£

Wyvern Technology College 109,483

Fair Oak Junior School 11,000

Fair Oak Infant School (tbc) 15,000

Education Capital Programme - Minor Works 2006/07 (tbc) 133,620

Education Capital - Schools Access Initiative 2005/06 68,000

Environment Capital - Safer Routes to Schools 2006/07 (tbc) 43,103

Policy and Resources NDS Condition 2005/06 15,000

Policy and Resources 06/07 (tbc) 138,393

533,599

5.2

Subject to the necessary approvals it is anticipated that work will commence on site during July 2006 and be completed during October 2006.

6

Consultation with Local Member

6.1

Councillor Angela Roling, the local Member for this area, has been consulted on this scheme and has confirmed her support for the proposals.

Conclusion

This scheme will provide greatly enhanced vehicular and pedestrian circulation, which will improve site safety and accessibility. Car parking provision at Wyvern Technology College and Fair Oak Infant and Junior School will be increased.

Recommendation

That the Executive Member for Education advises the Executive Member for Policy and Resources that the report for the Wyvern Technology College scheme at an estimated cost of £533,599, excluding fees, be approved.