Purpose

Following a review of pupil
projections for starting secondary school in Mid Sussex, and
particularly in Hassocks, due to increasing pupil numbers it is
necessary to provide for two bulge classes of 30 pupils at
Downlands School to create a total of 60 additional places in the
Hassocks area. The first bulge class of 30 pupils started at the
school in September 2022 as it was possible to accommodate the
additional children without the need for any capital works
initially.  An expansion project is
required to offer improved provision for the first bulge class and
enable a further bulge class of 30 pupils to be accommodated from
September 2023.
 
In September 2022 the Assistant
Director (Property and Assets) approved a budget allocation of
£2.3m of received S106 contributions to fund the necessary
works to fully accommodate both bulge classes and the commencement
of a procurement process required to enable this (Decision
ODK26 (22/23) refers).
 
Procurement of this scheme is
taking place with two separate contracts being tendered for
different aspects of the work. Having successfully concluded the
procurement and award of contract (Decision
OKD64 (22/23) refers) for the first phase of the works, to
install a double modular classroom unit, a compliant selective
tender process has now  been completed
for the second phase. Approval is therefore sought to appoint the
main contractor for the second phase of works, under a construction
contract, to carry out internal remodelling to the existing school
building and car parking alterations, to facilitate the bulge
expansion.

Decision

The Assistant Director (Property and Assets)
has approved the award of the construction contract for the
internal remodelling and car parking alterations as the second
phase in delivering the required accommodation to support 60
additional places at Downlands School to Sunninghill Construction
Ltd for the sum of £588,293.