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ITEM EX12


EXECUTIVE – 6 JULY 2004

 

DETAILED PROJECT APPRAISAL APPRAISAL NO. ED 615

NAME OF SCHEME: Didcot, Greenmere Primary School, Replacement School

BASIS OF ESTIMATE: Atkins Initial Cost Estimate Start Year: 2004/05

  1. INTRODUCTION AND DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT

    2. This scheme, which provides for a replacement school building for Greenmere Primary School, is required to enable the Authority to better utilise the large school campus shared by St. Birinus Secondary School and Greenmere Primary School. The new Greenmere Primary School will be constructed on part of its grassed social/habitat area. Sport England have expressed no objection to this proposal. The relocation of the school will enable the Authority to demolish the major part of existing school buildings and in so doing, release land and buildings for use by the adjacent secondary school. A separate project appraisal for the secondary school extensions will be submitted to the Executive for its consideration in due course.

    The new 14-class primary school with nursery class will be built in accordance with the primary school brief. A new access road to the school will be constructed on school land.

  2. JUSTIFICATION AND ASSESSMENT OF NEED

    3. The Oxfordshire Structure Plan 2011 indicates that 5,500 new dwellings will be required in Didcot between 1996 and 2011. Many have already been provided, but 3,500 dwellings still remain to be built. Although a final decision is still awaited on the location of these buildings, the size of the development will place significant pressures on primary and secondary school accommodation in the town. As a consequence of this development, three new primary schools and a new secondary school will be required. The Council’s strategy for secondary education in the town is for 3 secondary schools (St. Birinus, Didcot Girls and one other), for each to have 1450 pupils, and for work to be carried out at the two existing secondary schools to enable them to accommodate the increase in pupils numbers which has been continuous since 1996. Site limitations at St. Birinus can be overcome by the relocation of Greenmere Primary School which has major inefficiencies and long-term maintenance problems and by the incorporation of part of the existing primary school site into the secondary school campus. The Site Development Plan has demonstrated that it would be difficult to build on the existing secondary school site without wholesale demolitions and significant disruptions to teaching and learning.

  3. OTHER OPTIONS

    4. There are no other options which would enable the authority to sensibly provide for the expansion of St. Birinus School. The school is unable to expand any further on its current site.

  4. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
        1. Capital

          2. The estimated total cost of this work is £4,987,000 inclusive of fees. The cost of this work will be met from Supported Capital Expenditure (Revenue).

          See attached Resource Appraisal (download as .xls file).

        2. Revenue

    The revenue costs, including day-to-day structural repairs, will be met fom the school’s delegated budget under the Council’s Fair Funding arrangements.

  5. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS

The new building will be designed in accordance with the Council’s normal planning process which will ensure that all environmental requirements, including transport implications, are met.

KEITH BARTLEY
Director for Learning & Culture

CHRIS GRAY
Head of Finance

NEIL MONAGHAN
Head of Property

Contact Officer: Keith Borien, Senior Education Officer Tel: (01865) 428161

June 2004

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