Purpose

At its meeting on 16 November 2022, Cabinet
resolved (Minute No.193/22) to implement its decision as determined
on 20 July 2022 (Minute No.148/22).

Minute No.148/22 resolved that the Director of Children and
Education submit a further report to Cabinet setting out full
proposals for a capital scheme to provide a replacement primary
school at Brandhall for Causeway Green Primary School.

In order to submit a further report to Cabinet setting out full
proposals for a capital scheme it is necessary to establish a
baseline design for the replacement school, with a budget
estimate.

The ‘Executive Decision taken under Cabinet Delegated
Authority, Causeway Green Primary School, Brandhall Village –
Funding for RIBA 3’, approved the allocation of
£291,000 from the council’s School Condition grant
funding reserve to appoint a contractor via In-Tend to
reach completion of the RIBA Stage 3 design; and for the Director
of Regeneration and Growth to proceed with the appointment of a
contractor on a Design and Build basis to take the project from
RIBA Stage 2 to RIBA Stage 3.

Unfortunately there has been significant delay experienced with the
appointment of a contractor, and the fee package as presented in
June 2024 was incomplete. To avoid further delay and to also fund
the revised full fee base, an additional £165,000 is now
required to complete RIBA Stage 3.

To date £566,000 has been approved through Chief Officer
delegations to meet the costs of completing the scheme up to end
RIBA Stage 3. A revised budget estimate of £731,000 has been
confirmed, and details of revised and additional costs are detailed
in Section 6. A contingency of £15,000 (10%) has been
included within this additional request.

New requirements under the new Building Safety Act 2022 has
introduced additional fees to original budget estimates.

Following a recent successful procurement exercise, a contractor
has now been partially appointed to support completion of RIBA
Stage 3. The appointment will ensure a robust cost plan can be
submitted for capital appraisal, and subsequently to Cabinet for
final approval.

Allocation of £165,000 of School Condition funding will
enable the project to complete RIBA Stage 3 and confirm a full
project budget estimate.

The preferred build solution for the replacement school is a
Passivhaus design.

Upon completion of RIBA Stage 3 the Cabinet report for RIBA Stage 4
– 7 can be submitted. Subject to the final budget estimate
being confirmed it is anticipated that sufficient capital reserves
are held within the Schools Capital Programme to fund the scheme.
The DfE will not announce any further annual School Condition
allocations to Local Authorities until Spring 2025 at the
earliest.

Content

(1) That in connection with the proposed
relocation and replacement of Causeway Green Primary School at
Brandhall Village approval be given to:
i) allocate an additional £165,000 from the council’s
School Condition Allocation reserve to appoint a contractor via
In-Tend, to reach completion of the RIBA Stage 3 design; and

ii) instruct the Director of Regeneration and Growth to proceed
with the appointment of a contractor on a Design and Build basis to
take the project from RIBA Stages 2 to 3.

Alternative options considered

To do nothing is not an option. The contractor
has already been appointed to support RIBA Stage 3.

Reconstruction of the school on its existing site has previously
been investigated. The capital costs estimated to undertake partial
demolition and rebuild over several phases to wholly replace this
two-form entry, 420 place primary school, proved cost prohibitive,
and did not provide value for money for the council.

Traditional construction: the council has set an aspirational
target to deliver Brandhall Village as a carbon neutral
development. A number of sustainable measures can be incorporated
into a new school build, as has been delivered through the Schools
Capital Programme in previous years, however to strive towards a
carbon neutral, or low carbon building requires a new design
solution requiring specialist knowledge to upskill the in-house
teams.

Alternative sustainable school builds. A number of architectural
practices were approached and subsequently interviewed to undertake
the early concept and initial feasibility study for Causeway Green
Primary School. Those alternative consultants could offer little
beyond the work the Authority has carried out to date, and the
decision has been taken to recommend the initial engagement of
Architype to fully explore the physical and financial implications
for the council in pursuing a carbon neutral development.