Hampshire County Council Executive Lead Member for Children's Services (Education) 22 May 2008 Abbott's Ann C of E Primary School, Andover Report of the Acting Director of Property, Business and Regulatory Services

Contact: Steve Clow Ext: 7858 e-mail: [email protected]

1	Summary
1.1	The existing school is located in Abbott's Ann village at the junction of Church Road and Red Rice Road. The existing school building and site are significantly undersized when compared to the current curriculum requirements. There is no school hall, there is a temporary classroom and temporary administration space and the school has use of a detached playing field within the village. The existing School has a capacity of 102 and there are currently 98 pupils (4-11 years) on roll.
1.2	It is proposed to replace the existing school with a new, purpose-built primary school located on a green field site on the southern outskirts of Abbott's Ann village. The purchase of the site is being negotiated with the Lady Boughey Trust, the current land owners, by the Acting Director of Property, Business and Regulatory Services. The purchase of the site was approved at the Executive Member for Policy and Resources decision day of 28 January 2008.
1.3	In January 2007, the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) confirmed that the County Council had secured funding under the pathfinder phase of the department's Primary Capital Programme (PCP). It is proposed this project be predominantly funded through the PCP funding allocation.
1.4	The Acting Director of Property, Business and Regulatory Services has progressed the design of the proposed scheme for a replacement Primary School at Abbott's Ann and the purpose of this report is to outline the design proposals and seek approval to the attached design project appraisal.
1.5	The proposed scheme will maximise wellbeing and enhance the quality of place by providing a purpose-built primary school with attached playing field to replace the existing undersized building, thus benefiting all users of the facility.
2	Recommendation
	That the Executive Lead Member for Children's Services (Education) advises the Executive Member for Policy and Resources that approval be given to the design project appraisal for the scheme to provide a new Primary School at Abbott's Ann at an estimated total cost of £3,380,000, excluding fees.
3	Scope of the Works
3.1	The proposed new primary school will have a potential capacity for 120 pupils (4-11 years), although it is currently not planned to increase the existing capacity of 102 pupils. The accommodation will be fully accessible and will include four classroom areas, a main hall, library/resource area, multi-use space, staff and administration areas, kitchen, toilets and associated storage areas, external hard play, playing fields and car parking.
3.2	The single-storey building is `U' shape in form, around a courtyard, comprising of a pitched roof classroom block to the west, a hall/kitchen block to the east and a pitched roof linking administration block to the south.
3.3	The new school will be fully accessible, allowing inclusion for all staff, pupils and visitors. Ten staff car parking spaces will be provided, one of which will be an accessible space. Due to the rural position of the village and the wide catchment area for the school, the proposals include provision for a dedicated area for cars to drop off pupils to enable safe access to the school off the adjacent main road through the village.
3.4	Landscaping proposals include the provision of a junior-sized grass sports field, a formal hard-surfaced play court, informal hard play areas directly accessed from classrooms and an internal courtyard accessible from within some areas of the school. Other soft grassed areas will be provided as part of the landscape works.
3.5	An archaeological investigation is required at the proposed site. The exact scale of this is unknown at this stage. The investigation will be undertaken as soon as the land transfer to the County Council has been confirmed. There is a potential risk to the project until the investigation is completed and results are available.
3.6	Due to the ground conditions at the site, predominantly chalk sub-strata, it is proposed to undertake an earth movement and cut-and-fill enabling works package prior to commencement of the main construction works. This is intended to take advantage of the better summer weather, as excavations in chalk can be slow and unpredictable in wet weather..
4	Funding and Timing
4.1	The funding for the scheme (exclusive of fees) is as follows: £'000 Children's Services Capital Programme 2008/09 3,293 Schools (devolved capital) 62 P&R 2008/09 contributions 25 3,380
4.2	Subject to the necessary approvals it is anticipated that tenders for the elemental packages will be invited during May and June 2008.
4.3	The proposed archaeological investigation will be undertaken upon receipt of planning approval and confirmation of the land transfer to the County Council. This is anticipated in June 2008.
4.4	The proposed enabling works comprising of the earth movement and cut-and-fill exercise is anticipated to start in mid-august 2008 for the reasons referred to above.
4.5	It is anticipated that the main building works will commence on site during September 2008 and will be completed during June 2009.

5	Consultation with Local Member
5.1	Councillor Michael Woodhall, the local Member, has been consulted on these proposals and has commented as follows: "I am in full support of the proposals to build a new primary school within the village. I have, however, received a few comments from the Parish Council about the access to the site up Red Rice Road and the implications for traffic. "The Parish Council are looking, and are anticipating, for some traffic calming measures which in my view are perfectly justified in view of the increased traffic that will be going up this section of road to gain access to the school. You will be receiving under separate cover from the Parish Council their own comments and recommendations. "I very much look forward to seeing this scheme progress now to completion."
5.2	The issue of the impact on traffic on the immediate locality is the subject of consultation with the highway authority and any outcomes will be included in the planning conditions.
Conclusion
The proposed scheme will provide a purpose-built primary school within Abbott's Ann village with a potential capacity of 120, to replace the existing undersized school.

LINK(S) TO CORPORATE STRATEGY
	Yes	No
Hampshire safer and more secure for all		_
Maximising well-being	_
Enhancing our quality of place	_

This proposal does not link to the Corporate Strategy but, nevertheless, requires a decision because:

Section 100 D - Local Government Act 1972 - background papers

The following documents disclose facts or matters on which this report, or an important part of it, is based and has been relied upon to a material extent in the preparation of this report.

NB the list excludes:

1 Published works

2 Documents which disclose exempt or confidential information as defined in the Act.

Title Location

Architect's plans PMIS file

Building Profile Reports TMH

Hampshire County Council

Building Design Project Appraisal

Executive Lead Member for Children's Services (Education)

22 May 2008

Executive Member for Policy and Resources

18 June 2008

Project:	Abbott's Ann C of E Primary School, Andover
	New 120 place Primary School
Commencement date:	Archaeological investigation: June 2008 Enabling works (earth movement): August 2008 Main build: September 2008
Completion date:	June 2009
Planned year of start in accordance with Capital Programme:		2008/09

Recommendation:

That the building design project appraisal for the new Abbott's Ann Primary School

scheme be approved.

1 Finance

Capital Expenditure	Current Estimate £'000	Capital Programme £'000
Buildings	3,380	3,293
Fees	548	543
Land to be purchased	_	_
Total	*3,928	3,836

* The means by which the difference between the Current Estimate and the Capital Programme

allocation is to be met is shown in the table below.

Financial Provision for Total Scheme	Buildings £'000	Fees £'000	Total cost £'000
1 From own Resources:
a) Capital Programme (as above)	3,293	543	3,836
b) Schools (devolved capital)	62	2	64
c) P&R contributions	25	3	28
Total	3,380	548	3,928

Building Cost - Net Cost = £2,489 per m²

- Gross Cost = £3,542 per m²

Devolved Capital allocations

As at 30 April 2008, the school has a devolved capital balance of £26,996. Along with their allocation for the next two financial years (which should be in the region of £48,000), this will be sufficient to pay for the commitments proposed in this project appraisal.

Landlord funded work connected with this scheme

The landlord is to make a contribution of £25,000 from the external works budget.

Value of land being acquired for this project

The land forming the site of the development is an integral part of the school campus and is incapable of disposal in isolation. The land was acquired at historic cost and its current value to the County Council is as part of the ground of the establishment.

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	0	0	0	-
Unit cost (£) (e.g. per place)	-	-	-	-	-
% variation to Committee's budget	-				-
Number of additional Staff (fte)	-				-

The overall level of the revenue budget for funding schools will (from April 2006) be prescribed by central government, and capital projects have no bearing on the level of this budget. Therefore, this proposed project will have no bearing on the overall level of the Children's Services budget, extra costs and savings being met from the same overall schools' funding level.

Energy costs

The estimated annual energy consumption for the new accommodation will meet that required by current Building Regulations. It is anticipated that the increase in fuel cost for the school will be in the order of £ for each m² of new accommodation.

Value for Money

Factors taken into consideration during the development process to ensure that the project is delivering value for money:

Procurement - the project is being developed as part of an innovative procurement strategy to deliver a number of new primary schools in the Andover area. Abbott's Ann is one of several schools being developed together with two framework contractors, with the aim of achieving some commonality and repetition across the projects to facilitate economies of scale through aggregation both on building costs and the cost of resources. Performance indicators from similar packaging strategies, such as the provision of nursing care beds (Enhance), are demonstrating that such an approach is delivering significant efficiencies.

Buildability/Specification - the early involvement of the contractor in the design development process has enabled them to contribute valuable experience, knowledge and expertise into achieving optimum design solutions in terms of buildability, quality and costs over the life of the building.

Whole Life Costs - the development of the project has included an analysis of costs over the whole life-cycle of the building which is a condition of the Primary Capital Programme Pathfinder funding. A Whole Life Cost plan has been prepared and compares with other infant/primary schools being built by the County.

Sustainability - the scheme has been designed with a strong sustainability agenda. A `very good' BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Benchmark for Sustainability) rating is being targeted as a condition of the Primary Capital Programme Pathfinder funding and this will reflect in the longer-term benefits which will be delivered through low-energy use.

2 Details of site and existing infrastructure

Location/adjoining land and buildings

The proposed site for the new school is situated on the southern outskirts of Abbott's Ann village on 2.7 ha of land that is currently arable farmland. There is an existing protected tree belt bounding the north of the site, with housing also to the north of the site.

Area including comparison with local/national standards

The total site area is 2.7 hectares. The DCSF guideline for a school of this size is 0.75 hectares. However, the topography of the site requires the additional site area in order to fit both the building and the playing field requirement for a school of this size.

Access

It is proposed to form two pedestrian accesses to the school site from Red Rice Road, and a further pedestrian access directly from the existing residential area to the north west of the site. At the front of the site there is to be a parent and visitor congregation point for drop-off and collection of pupils and a separate vehicular access for staff cars and grounds maintenance vehicles will be formed from Red Rice Road.

Existing buildings and temporary buildings

The proposed site has no existing buildings on it.

Results of trial boreholes

The site investigation has yet to be undertaken.

Mains services position

New incoming mains gas, water and electricity will be brought into the incoming meter positions by the utilities from the nearest local infrastructure. Meter positions will be at the site boundary or within the respective plantroom or switchroom.

3 Scope of the Project

Type of project and facilities provided

The proposed new school will provide the following accommodation:


· four classrooms

· main hall

· shared area/library/resource

· multi-use space

· SEN/individual tutorial space

· staff and administration offices

· kitchen

· pupil toilets

· accessible toilet for both staff and pupils

· staff toilet

· associated support facilities including plant and caretaking store

· external facilities as identified in the external works section.

Places provided

The new school will be able to provide up to 120 places, but it is not currently proposed to increase capacity beyond the existing 102 places.

4 The Proposed Building

Type of construction, finish and appearance

The proposed school building will be constructed using a steel frame with infill panels and clad with a good quality Hampshire stock brick and a good quality plain tile to the roofs. The building form comprises a pitched roof classroom block, an administration block and a main hall. The classrooms will have proprietary roof-lights to maximise daylight and natural ventilation levels and the hall will have a high-level lantern for the same purpose. The classroom will have full height screens to the west elevation, to be recessed to create an external covered area to each classroom. Doors and windows will be a composite timber frame with aluminium fascia. The rainwater goods will be formed using box section aluminium.

The palette of materials has been chosen to complement the architectural context and landscape of the existing site. External lighting has been designed to prevent up-flare and light pollution.

Impact Assessment

The proposed building is fully accessible, allowing inclusion for all staff and pupils, and a level approach is provided for all final exit doors. An accessible toilet and one accessible parking space will be provided.

Assessment of the Race Relations (Amendment) Act has been considered in the development of this proposal. No adverse impact has been identified in terms of race, creed or gender.

Heating and ventilation systems

It is proposed the building will be heated using a `wet' under-floor heating system. The pre-heating of the hot water will be via solar panels located facing south on the administration block. The school will be naturally ventilated through controlled opening low-level windows and high-level roof lights. The main hall will follow the same principle, with the high-level lantern opening.

Fire risk assessment

In consultation with the Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service, a fire risk assessment

concludes that this is a low fire risk category building. Therefore a sprinkler system will not be installed.

Health and safety

A designer's risk assessment and a design health and safety plan, in accordance with the Construction Design and Management Regulations 2007, have been undertaken for the proposed scheme

5 External Works

Car parking

Ten car parking spaces will be provided, one of which is accessible. Due to the rural position of the school, the proposals include a dedicated area for cars to drop off pupils to enable safe access to the school entrance without the need to cross the road. Provision will also be made for delivery vehicles and a turning circle will be provided to enable these vehicles to leave the site in a forward gear. Pedestrians and vehicles will be segregated for safety purposes. It is also proposed to provide covered cycle storage for 10 bicycles for staff and pupil usage, located to the south of the building and accessed via the pedestrian access to the school site.

Landscape proposals

The landscape proposals include:

· a junior sized grass sports pitch

· a formal hard surfaced play court

· informal hard play areas accessed directly from the classrooms

· internal courtyard accessible from the shared resource, administration and hall areas

· other soft grassed areas that could be enhanced by the school

· a meadow and sensory garden to the west of the classrooms

· a pond within the existing tree belt

Situation on site and environmental impact

The proposed location for the new school is a greenfield site on the southern outskirts of Abbott's Ann, which was formerly in agricultural use. The area forms a gentle natural bowl in the middle of the site, which is where the proposed building will be located. The north of the site is bounded by a protected tree belt, and is immediately adjacent to existing residential housing.

6 Planning

A detailed planning application was submitted during March 2008.

7 Building management

Existing arrangements will apply to cleaning, catering, local management and maintenance arrangements.

8 Furniture and equipment

Funding will be allocated from the Children's Services block allocation budget vote.

9 Professional resources

Architectural Services } Property, Business and Regulatory Quantity Surveying } Faithfull and Gould

Electrical and Mechanical Engineering } RHB Partnership

Structural Engineering } Price and Myers

Landscape services } Hyland Edgar Driver

Drainage design } WSP Buildings

10 Consultations

The following have been consulted during the development of the project: Headteacher, Governors and parents of the school, Abbotts Ann Parish Council, Children's Services Department, Environment Department, Fire Officer, Access Officer, local County Councillor.