Meeting documents

Delegated Decisions by Cabinet Member for Schools Improvement
Tuesday, 6 March 2007

XI060307-03

Return to Items for Decision

Division(s): Didcot South

ITEM CMDSI3

DETAILED PROJECT APPRAISAL APPRAI9SAL NO. ED 657

NAME OF SCHEME: St Birinus School, Didcot

Provision of New Science Block START YEAR: 2007/08

BASIS OF ESTIMATE: Mouchel Parkman cost estimate based on agreed scheme developed with partnering contractor Mansell Construction

  1. INTRODUCTION AND DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT

The Site Development Plan (SDP) produced for St Birinus School seeks to identify the best way of developing the agreed needs and aspirations of the County Council and the school taking into account the following accommodation issues:

    • Suitability;

    • Condition;

    • Sufficiency (including projected future growth within the area).

One outcome of the SDP process was the need to make better use of the large campus site shared by St Birinus Secondary School and Greenmere Primary School. Phase 1 of implementing the SDP, the construction of a new primary school to replace the Greenmere building, was approved by the full Executive at its meeting 6 July 2004 (Project Appraisal ref ED615). The primary school will be moving into their new building at Easter 2007, this will allow the vacated Greenmere buildings to be demolished and the land released for development to meet the site and accommodation needs of St Birinus School.

This project appraisal is for phase 2 of implementing the SDP, the construction of a new three storey 13-laboratory science facility for St Birinus School on the site of the former Greenmere Primary School buildings. The project also includes the conversion of a number of existing science rooms to provide general teaching classrooms within the main school buildings and allow for the eventual removal of temporary classrooms from the site.

When completed the new science building will includes:

    • 13 purpose designed laboratories;

    • preparation rooms;

    • staff work area;

    • office accommodation;

    • storage; and

    • staff and pupil WC’s.

The building is designed to be fully accessible to users with special needs and will include a lift providing access to all floors, disabled WC’s and specialist height adjustable furniture within the laboratories.

Externally the project includes landscaping and the reconfiguration of the vehicle access point to allow for separation of vehicle and pedestrian traffic. The project has been designed to retain space to the rear of the new building for future development.

  1. JUSTIFICATION AND ASSESSMENT OF NEED

The site capacity of St Birinus School is within the DfES area guidelines for the size of the school. However, the site area calculation includes off site playing field provision at what is known as the Hagbourne Triangle. The school site is therefore constrained because it is essentially working as a split site. Building development can only take place on the main school site, leading to further constraints and potential disruption. There is already limited scope on the main school site for outdoor pupil recreation and hard play areas.

Four of the existing science labs being replaced are identified in the Education Asset Management Plan as having the following suitability problems.

    • Chemistry Laboratory (Room 0036)

    • Category B suitability problem (Preferred Teaching Methods are inhibited) – room too small.

    • Biology Laboratory (Room 0041)

Category C suitability problem (Management or organisation of the school affected adversely) – room located on first floor, accessed via steep/barrow staircase.

    • Biology Laboratory (Room 0044)

Category B suitability problem (Preferred Teaching Methods are inhibited) – room too small and located on first floor, accessed via steep/barrow staircase.

    • Biology Laboratory (Room 0045)

Category B suitability problem (Preferred Teaching Methods are inhibited) – room too small and located on first floor, accessed via steep/barrow staircase.

The school currently has 18 temporary classrooms, three of which provide science accommodation. The removal of temporary classrooms is an agreed priority in the Education Asset Management Plan. On completion of the project it is intended to start a phased removal of temporary buildings. This will have to be planned in light of developing proposals for major housing growth within the town and the timing for delivery of additional educational infrastructure.

  1. OTHER OPTIONS

    2. The only other option is to do nothing. This would still leave the school with a large number of temporary buildings and the teaching accommodation spread across several detached buildings. Over time this would incur increasing repair and maintenance liabilities. As the buildings reach the end of their life they could be replaced with further temporary buildings. The relocation of the Greenmere Primary School provides the starting point for increasing the size of the main school site and addressing the long-term accommodation needs of the school.

  2. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

    3. The project will be procured through Mansell Construction Ltd as a fully partnered project. The contractor has been involved in the design process and has worked with the County Council’s property consultant to identify efficiencies and reduce risks.

        1. Capital

          2. The scheme is already identified in the Capital Programme and Forward Plan. The estimated cost of the scheme inclusive of professional fees is £4,780,204. This cost will be met from supported borrowing provided as part of the School's Capital Formulaic Allocation. Any future developer funding secured through section 106 agreement may be used to offset the expenditure incurred against supported borrowing.

        2. Revenue

    Day to day revenue costs will be met through the schools delegated budget. The replacement of aging temporary buildings will reduce the ongoing repair and maintenance and energy costs.

  3. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS

The new building will replace an existing brick and tile single storey structure. It has been designed to respond to key relationships with the new single storey primary school and the existing buildings within the St Birinus School campus. The new building will relate to and complement the adjacent buildings and express itself as a focal point of the St Birinus School campus whilst also reflecting the importance of science as an aspect of the schools specialist technology status.

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 design brief for the project specified that the building should achieve a BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) rating of ‘Very Good’, this reflects the advantages of the proposed three storey compact construction and the Councils intention to elevate some project work beyond the ‘good’ level. The brief also includes a CO2 target as defined within the KPI requirements of 40kg/m2.

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 permission. The construction will be in accordance with Oxfordshire County Council requirements.

(Resource Appraisal - download as .xls file)

 (Statement of Decision)

KEITH BARTLEY
Director for Children, Head of Finance & Procurement

SUE SCANE
Young People & Families

NEIL MONAGHAN
Head of Property

Contact: Kevin Griffin, Service Manager, Property & Assets, Strategy & Performance, Children, Young People & Families Directorate Tel: (01865) 816457

February 2007

Return to TOP