Hampshire County Council

Executive Member - Children's Services

25 May 2006

Oak Meadow Early Years Centre, Fareham

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 1 - maximising life opportunities

Aim 5 - improving services

The proposal to refurbish the Early Years Centre to form a Children's Centre will have an immediate benefit in supporting the development of parenting skills and child development in the community.

1

Summary

1.1

This reports seeks approval to an internal refurbishment scheme at Oak Meadow Early Years Centre to form a Children's Centre. The total estimated cost of the scheme is £300,000, excluding fees.

1.2

The Centre is located in a residential area of Fareham on the Oak Meadow Primary School site at Tewkesbury Avenue, adjacent the main school building. Both buildings date from the 1960s and are of timber frame system construction.

1.3

The Director of Property, Business and Regulatory Services has progressed the refurbishment proposal and the purpose of this report is to outline the proposals and seek approval to the scheme.

2

Scope of the Works

2.1

It should be noted that a separate scheme to relocate the Nurture Unit from its existing position within the Early Years Centre to the SCOLA 2 classroom block located to the north of the main school is reported in the Minor Works report to the Executive Member for Education.

2.2

The proposed works to refurbish the Early Years Centre to form a Children's Centre consist of internal reconfiguration of the existing nurture space to create a self-contained nursery unit (including crèche, toddlers' room, pre-school areas, staff room, laundry, toilet accommodation [including accessible] kitchen and baby area). It is also proposed to create a new external garden which will be accessed from the baby area.

2.3

A new level access from the south will be formed into the Children's Centre, to include a covered canopy and buggy shelter area.

2.4

Some minor refurbishment works to two existing classroom areas will provide a community room, parent/children's room, store and kitchen.

2.5

The west wing of the Early Years Centre will be reconfigured to include a meeting hall, office accommodation, training room, kitchen, toilet accommodation (including accessible), sensory room, meeting hall/children/parent area and storage areas. This will link to an external enclosed grassed area for play via a level access ramp.

2.6

The existing mechanical and electrical services will be reconfigured to suit the new layouts within the Children's Centre and Education IT office accommodation which is located within the same building.

3

Funding and Timing

3.1

As part of the overall funding regime for early years provision, the Department for Education and Skills has made funding available for investment in children's centres. Approval to an allocation of funding for this scheme of £300,000, excluding fees, from the Children's Services Capital Programme 2006/07 is being sought.

3.2

These works may require negotiation of a tenancy to a third party occupier, but as all users have been previously consulted, it is not anticipated that this will affect the programme set out below.

3.3

Subject to the necessary approvals it is anticipated that tenders will be invited during May 2006, work will commence on site during July 2006 and be completed during March 2007.

4

Consultation with Local Member

4.1

Councillors John Bryant and Raymond Ellis, the local Members for this area, have been consulted on the proposals.

Conclusion

The internal reconfiguration and refurbishment of the existing Early Years Centre will provide a Children's Centre to include a self-contained nursery unit, external garden area, community room, meeting hall and associated comfort and administrative accommodation.

Recommendation

That the Executive Member for Children's Services approves the proposed scheme at Oak Meadow Early Years Centre at an estimated cost of £300,000, excluding fees.