ITEM CMDSI2
DETAILED PROJECT APPRAISAL APPRAISAL NO. ED 692
NAME OF SCHEME: The Marlborough C of E School, Woodstock – New science accommodation and replacement of temporary buildings
START YEAR: 2008/09
BASIS OF ESTIMATE: Mouchel Parkman cost estimate based on agreed scheme.
1. INTRODUCTION
The Marlborough Church of England School is a popular and successful secondary school which has been expanding over a number of years. Plans to provide additional general and specialist accommodation have been delayed because of the detection of a significant population of great crested newts on the school site in the preferred area of the extensions and an alternative strategy has been taken to provide the required accommodation as follows:
The need to provide additional pupil places for September 2008 is currently being taken forward under Detailed Project Appraisal ED 684 and this will provide two additional general classrooms.
The need to provide additional specialist accommodation and additional general teaching accommodation for September 2009 and beyond is the subject of this Detailed Project Appraisal. This will create a new science faculty, remove a number of temporary buildings from the site and refurbish and re-allocate the existing science accommodation giving the school the added benefit of rationalising and improving its current accommodation.
The scheme has the full support of the school staff and the Governing Body.
2. DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT
The project will provide a new science faculty comprising 8 laboratories and 1 large classroom together with refurbishment of the existing science classrooms and removal of a ‘Horsa’ building and 2 double temporary buildings.
The accommodation in the new two-storey science building will include 8 full size science laboratories, 1 large science classroom, 2 science preparation rooms linked by dumb waiter lift, chemical store, staff workbase, toilet facilities for pupils and staff together with circulation area, stairs, lift and plant room. The building will be protected from spread of fire by the incorporation of a fire sprinkler system.
The existing science laboratories and associated spaces will be refurbished and converted into an ICT suite of 4 classrooms and 2 large general classrooms together with associated storage and office space.
A ‘Horsa’
building and 2 double temporary classrooms will be demolished and an area of
new car parking provided to replace car spaces lost due to the provision of the
new science block. The work includes associated external paved areas, drainage
and service connections.
3. JUSTIFICATION AND ASSESSMENT OF NEED
The new accommodation is needed to provide the school with 3 additional science teaching spaces and 6 additional general teaching spaces to meet the forecast growth in pupil numbers and a re-allocation of various rooms to accommodate the space lost by removing the Horsa and temporary buildings. The actual number of pupils on roll in September 2007 was 1049 against a school capacity of 1017 and, although 2 additional general classrooms giving an additional 60 spaces will have been provided as a measure of urgency for September 2008, the pupil numbers are forecast to rise to 1160 pupils by 2013. This scheme has the added benefit of providing a new dedicated science faculty together with the opportunity to bring together ICT rooms. This will also allow other departments within the school to be relocated into the vacated classrooms and provide a rationalisation of accommodation throughout the school.
The County’s Asset Management Plan priority is to provide sufficient accommodation and to remove suitability issues that exist within the existing accommodation which includes the replacement of temporary buildings. The proposed scheme meets these objectives of the County Council's Corporate Plan priorities to provide sufficient and suitable accommodation to enable delivery of the National Curriculum and it provides the outcomes identified in the Oxfordshire Children’s and Young People’s Plan especially with regard to the aims to help children “enjoy and achieve educational success”. The five key outcomes for children and young people are: · Enjoying and Achieving · Staying Safe · Economic Wellbeing · Being Healthy · Making a Positive Contribution
4. OTHER OPTIONS
Other options have been considered as follows:
1. to extend the existing science accommodation in a permanent build extension – a feasibility study has identified that a population of great crested newts is present in the location for the proposed science extensions and that, as a consequence, the programme for building operations would be deferred by several years whilst effective mitigation strategies were carried out to protect and preserve the amphibians that breed in the adjacent pond. As a consequence temporary laboratory accommodation would need to be provided elsewhere on the school site and this would cause a separation of the science department leading to less efficient science teaching and a significant additional cost to the project
2. to extend the existing science accommodation with temporary classroom units – this could not be provided in the preferred location adjacent to the existing science classrooms for the reasons stated in (1) above and other locations on the school site may not be acceptable in planning terms. It is not council policy to provide temporary accommodation where a permanent provision is justified and funding allows for a permanent solution. In addition, temporary buildings have some inherent suitability issues together with higher running and maintenance costs.
3. to ‘do nothing’ – this is not a feasible option given the projected and sustained rise in pupil numbers. If nothing was done the school would fail to deliver the National Curriculum requirements for science teaching and the outcomes identified in the Oxfordshire Children’s and Young People’s Plan would not be achieved
5. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
(i) Capital
The estimated cost of the scheme inclusive of fees is £3,315,000.
These costs will be met from developer contributions secured under S106 agreements and identified for this school as a minimum allocation (£235,000), school contribution from their Devolved Formula Capital Allocation (£150,000), and the balance of (£2,930,000) from government loan sanction provided as part of Oxfordshire’s Supported Capital Expenditure allocation.
The allocation for developer contributions secured under S.106 agreements may be increased as and when further developer contributions are secured and/or received towards this project.
The scheme is identified in the Capital Programme Forward Plan.
(ii) Revenue
Day to day revenue costs will be met through the schools delegated budget.
(iii) Risk
Regular risk assessments have been carried out by Property Services and Mouchel Parkman and a Risk Register is being maintained for the project to manage and control identified risks.
6. STAFFING IMPLICATIONS
The school will meet day-to-day repair and maintenance costs and structural repairs and staffing costs as part of the Council’s Fair Funding arrangements.
7. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS
The County Council property consultant has been required to utilise whole life appraisal techniques during the design phase and bring forward recommendations that take account of energy efficiency, repair and maintenance and durability.
The building work will be carried out in accordance with the planning permission issued by the County Council. The design, materials and landscaping will be as specified in the planning consent.
The design provides for natural ventilation and solar shading without depriving the internal areas of natural lighting, as per "Guidelines for Environmental Design in Schools - Building Bulletin 87". The building is expected to receive a "Good" rating in the Building Research Establishment’s Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) Pre-Assessment estimation, which allows a quick evaluation of the likely environmental rating a building would achieve under a formal BREEAM Schools assessment.
The sustainability principles applied to the design incorporate the values of comfort, good internal environment (heating, lighting, ventilation) and adequacy to the teaching areas. The existing quality of the site and landscape will be enhanced by re-provision of the same number of trees that will be lost. The scheme takes into account the current services and building features and in so doing will make efficient use of the available resources.
JANET TOMLINSON Director for Children, Young People & Families
SUE SCANE Assistant Chief Executive & Chief Finance Officer
NEIL MONAGHAN Head of Property, Environment & Economy
Contact Officer: John Phipps, Service Manager, Property & Assets, Children, Young People and Families Directorate, Tel: (01865) 816455
April 2008
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