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Division(s): Cumnor, Hinksey

ITEM EX8

EXECUTIVE – 30 SEPTEMBER 2003

DETAILED PROJECT APPRAISAL APPRAISAL NO. ED588/1

NAME OF SCHEME: Elms Road Nursery School, Botley; relocation to new purpose built accommodation at Botley Primary School.

BASIS OF ESTIMATE: Atkins estimate based on agreed scheme START YEAR: 2004/05

  1. EXEMPT INFORMATION

    2. The attached resource appraisal should be considered in exempt session because its discussion in public might lead to the disclosure to members of the public present of any terms proposed or to be proposed by or to the authority in the course of negotiations for a contract for the acquisition or disposal of property or the supply of goods or services.

  2. DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT

In November 2001 the Executive approved in principle a report outlining proposals to develop and implement early years and childcare provision within the Botley area, including the possible relocation of Elms Road Nursery School. The Executive requested officers to undertake wider consultation and produce more detailed costed proposals. A project group consisting of representatives from Elms Road Nursery School, Botley Primary School, North Hinksey Primary School and Botley Pre-School was established to consider the options available.

In December 2002 the Executive approved an outline project appraisal for a project to provide replacement purpose built accommodation for Elms Road Nursery School on the adjoining Botley Primary School site. Elms Road Nursery is currently housed in a HORSA building. A three-classroom HORSA building, used by Botley Primary School for Foundation Stage/KS1 accommodation, will also be replaced as part of this project.

In summary the new accommodation will include:

Elms Road Nursery School

    • Nursery accommodation including classroom, administrative and storage facilities

    • Day-care Room

    • Parent/family Room

    • Shared outside area (Nursery, Foundation, Day-care)

Botley Primary School

    • Foundation Stage Classroom

    • 2 KS1 Classrooms and resource area

    • Shared outside area (Nursery, Foundation, Day-care)

The following has been achieved since the outline project appraisal was approved;

    • Officers have worked with the Pre-School and the Headteacher, Governors and Trustees of North Hinksey Primary School to agree the relocation of the pre-school currently located on the Elms Road site. Formal agreements are now being prepared that will allow the pre-school to relocate to the North Hinksey Primary School site and operate a Partnership Foundation Stage Unit (PFSU) with the school.

    • Planning permission has been obtained for the relocation of the pre-school to North Hinksey.

    • DfES approval has been received for the disposal of the Elms Road Nursery School site (S35 Education Act 1996).

    • DfES general consent has been received under paragraph 1 of the Schedule to the School Playing Fields General Disposal and Change of Use Consent 2001, to relocate Elms Road Nursery School.

    • Officers from Learning & Culture have presented the scheme to Botley Parish Council

    • Consultation has taken place with Vale of White Horse District Council Planning Officers about the disposal and redevelopment of the Elms Road site.

    • A planning application has been submitted to the Vale of White Horse District Council for the residential redevelopment of the Elms Road site.

    • A planning application has been approved for the new school accommodation on the Botley Primary School site.

  1. JUSTIFICATION AND ASSESSMENT OF NEED

The justification is unchanged from the outline project appraisal (ED588). Early years and childcare provision in the Botley area has developed piecemeal in response to changes of government policy (nursery vouchers, changes in admission patterns and the National Childcare Strategy). The current providers include Elms Road Nursery School, Botley Primary School, Botley Pre-School and North Hinksey Primary School.

Elms Road Nursery School is a 40f.t.e. place LEA Nursery School, which has recently started offering fee-paying extended day-care places. Its capacity to deliver the foundation stage curriculum and to develop further wrap-around childcare and extended services is restricted due to the age and design of the HORSA building it is located in.

Botley Primary School is located adjacent to the nursery school site. It has an intake of approximately 45 children per year. Its reception and key stage one classrooms are located in the HORSA building.

Botley Pre-School is voluntary managed and is situated on the nursery school site. It offers foundation stage education for up to 25 f.t.e. places, funded through Government grant for 3 and 4 year olds. Some of these places are offered as fee-paying extended day-care sessions.

North Hinksey Primary School is located approximately half a mile away in North Hinksey Village. The school has an intake of approximately 25 children per year.

There is a nationally and locally perceived need to develop extended, integrated or co-located services such as wraparound childcare, extended day-care and family support alongside mainstream funded education provision. This is in accordance with the aims and objectives of the Oxfordshire Early Years Development and Childcare Plan. There is local consensus that the current situation is unsatisfactory in terms of the mixed provision, the location of the services, poor existing accommodation and limitation of development potential to meet identified needs.

The HORSA buildings to be replaced were built as temporary accommodation after the Second World War with an intended life span of 15 years. The structure of the building comprises concrete portal frames with hollow concrete block infill panels. The building has poor insulation and no damp proof course. Although some modernisation has taken place this does not compensate for the unsuitable teaching environment. The replacement of HORSA buildings is one of the top condition priorities identified in the LEA Asset Management Plan.

The Asset Management Plan Assessment in March 2000 also identified the following suitability problems that will be removed as a consequence of this project:

Elms Road Nursery

    • Insufficient staff WC facilities.

    • Administrative office too small, does not comply with Workplace Regulations.

Botley Primary School

    • Poor separation of vehicles/pedestrians.

    • Inadequate size of car park.

    • HORSA classroom 10a - its small size and design means that it has to serve as a circulation route as well as a classroom.

    • HORSA classroom 11 – its small size and poor design presents supervision difficulties.

All of the new teaching and non-teaching accommodation will be fully accessible for people with disabilities. This will contribute towards compliance with the requirements of the Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2000.

  1. OTHER OPTIONS

    2. The only other option available would be to continue to maintain the HORSA buildings at both schools. This would present the County Council with an increasing repair and maintenance liability. The Nursery School would have to continue to operate in a building that does not meet its current and future educational requirements and inhibits the development of service provision.

  2. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

        1. Capital

          2. The total estimated capital cost of the project is £1,685,000, inclusive of WS Atkins professional fees. The relocation of Elms Road Nursery School and Botley Pre-School will enable the existing Elms Road site to be disposed of for residential development. It is proposed that the capital cost of the project is mostly met from the capital receipt that this would generate. The balance of the cost will be met from New Deal for School (NDS) funding and Elms Road Nursery and Botley Primary School accrued Devolved Formula Capital.

          The Elms Road site cannot be disposed of until the new accommodation has been completed. The capital receipt will therefore not be secured within the first year that costs are incurred and it will be necessary to utilise other resources within the Capital Programme to offset this expenditure until the capital receipt is received.

        2. Revenue

    Revenue costs for education provision will be through Education SSA for 3 and 4 year olds, and nursery grant for any places provided by voluntary providers. New Opportunities funding is available for the revenue start up of childcare. After initial set up costs, childcare will be self-financing from parental fees and Working Families Tax Credit.

    The ongoing revenue repair & maintenance and running costs for the new accommodation will be borne by Elms Road Nursery School, through its non-delegated budget, and Botley Primary School, through the County Council’s Fair Funding mechanism. It is anticipated that energy and repair and maintenance savings will be made by the removal of the HORSA buildings at both of these schools.

  3. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS

The County Council’s Planning & Regulation Committee approved the planning application for the new accommodation on the Botley Primary School site on 8 September 2003. The disposal application for the Elms Road site is programmed to go to the Vale of White Horse District Council’s Planning Committee on 29 September 2003. An up-date will be provided at the meeting.

The Director of Environment & Economy has been consulted on access and highway issues and the scheme incorporates his comments.

The new building would be constructed in accordance with the County Council’s environmental standards, which will in turn minimise energy costs for the school. This scheme is particularly helpful, as it will remove HORSA buildings which have poor insulation and high energy costs.

KEITH BARTLEY
Director of Learning & Culture

CHRIS GRAY
Head of Finance

NEIL MONAGHAN
Head of Property

Contact Officers:
Kevin Griffin, Education Officer, Premises Development, Learning & Culture Tel: (01865) 428164
Maggie Smith, Education Officer, Early Years, Learning & Culture Tel: (01865) 815493

September 2003

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