Paignton Community and Sports Academy

Paignton, Devon

Project Details

Client
Bay Education Trust

Project Manager
Torbay Development Agency

Architect
KTA Architects Ltd

Contractor
Midas Construction Ltd

Value
£2.4m

Contract Period
38 weeks

Procurement Type
Competitive tender – 2 stage

Form of Contract
JCT Intermediate Building Contract with Contractors Design 2016

Size
880m²

Apprentices
17

Project Brief

Supported by the Torquay Development Agency (TDA) and with capital funding secured via a Condition Improvement Fund from the Education and Skills Funding Agency, this project at Paignton Community and Sports Academy (part of the Bay Education Trust), saw construction of a single-storey, multi-use hall.

Delivered at the Academy’s live Borough Road campus, the new Events Centre provides a flexible working space suitable for a full range of sporting and extracurricular activities. The hall features retractable seating, a mezzanine level and dual-purpose lecture theatre/ performance space. The Centre includes a kitchen and dining area, entrance lobby and reception, and an external covered walkway.

Midas constructed the Events Centre following demolition of an outdated 1930s teaching block, further enhancing the Borough Road campus through groundworks, landscaping and improved car parking.

The project received a customer satisfaction score of 87% in the survey at practical completion.

“I have been at the Academy since 1986 and this has to be the best news I have ever received – it will give the students both now and in the ensuing years access to state of the art facilities.”

Key Challenges

  • To manage works close to live school buildings, Midas secured the site with fencing developed a bespoke logistics plan, scheduling deliveries to avoid school drop off and collection times in accordance with the client’s instructions, to ensure access to the academy was not disrupted. The site employed a full time gate controller for the duration of the project; kept access gates closed and locked when not in use; fitted door closers to pedestrian access gates; enforced a one-way vehicle access system; and established a corral at the entry point to get deliveries off the main road. The team and completed all works, loading and unloading within site boundaries only. The Senior Site Manager met frequently with the Academy Head Teacher to discuss relevant aspects of the work, and liaised with the Academy’s Health & Safety Coordinator and caretaker with regard to programming and access.
  • Partway through the project and in agreement with the client, Midas moved the Academy’s office and canteen facilities to within the new Event Centre. The Midas team positioned pedestrian barriers in the corridors, to prevent unauthorised access and to direct site operatives, with access monitored by Midas and Academy staff. Midas risk assessed all activities with consideration for the proximity to pupils.
  • During the enabling works, Midas commissioned a ground penetrating radar survey of the site. The team identified routes of live services, using spray paint to colour code manhole covers for service type (blue for storm drains, red for foul drains and a red C for combined drains). Operatives worked under permits to dig and CAT scanned areas prior to excavation works. As the team brought new services onto the site Midas marked them up on service drawings, displayed routes on notice boards and attached to drawings to relevant permits.

Project Takeaways

Our Success

  • The client appointed separate contractors to complete fit out works during our project. Midas ensured all operatives received a full site induction prior to accessing live areas of the site and ensured operatives followed site rules and restrictions, avoided restricted areas and followed noise and dust controls stated within the induction and specific risk assessment method statements. The Midas Site Manager controlled the process.
  • To bring the works in line with the budget, Midas led a detailed best value review, with £390k of our proposed savings accepted by the client. Amendments included changing the design from three flexible classrooms to a hall, a better provision for the client’s needs; and working closely with the design team to deliver proposed solutions.
  • The project successfully diverted 100% of waste from landfill, through measures including crushing and reusing hard materials from the demolished building as a piling mat. To further reduce the project’s carbon footprint and manage the limited parking availability, Midas actively encouraged the use of vehicle sharing, public transport, cycling or walking to site, providing public transport timetables in the site office.

Our Learnings

  • The site had limited space for contractor parking, which presented a challenge outside of school holidays when contractors parked in nearby roads. The team implemented parking controls and advised contactors of local restrictions, with the Senior Site Manager delivering toolbox talks on restrictions and briefing contractors that anyone not adhering to site rules would be removed. Vehicles displayed a Midas notice with the Senior Site Manager’s contact information, to ensure any issues could be promptly addressed.
  • Working closely with our specialist subcontractors and the client, Midas resolved an issue with availability of high-level cladding panels. With agreement from the client the team implemented a temporary cladding solution, fitting a sacrificial profiled metal cladding, which rapidly waterproofed the building and allowed the site team to progress with internal works. The Senior Site Manager worked closely with the design team and M&E subcontractor to incorporate design changes implemented part way through construction, coordinating services to mitigate potential delays and ensure on-time completion.

Value Added

  • £390,000 (16.3% of project value) of savings offered to the client at Gateway 3, with £392,818 (16.4%) of savings delivered at Gateway 4 through a combination of best practice and added value measures. Midas delivered £75,000 of savings by rationalising the size of the kitchen; saved £50,000 through amendments to the cladding specification; and saved £100,000 through rationalisation of rooflines and building footprint.
  • The project worked to the Employment and Skills Plan (ESP) and surpassed all agreed targets, hosting five work placements; creating two jobs with the National Skills Academy for Construction; attending 11 Construction Careers Information, Advice & Guidance Events; delivering 98 waged training weeks on site; supporting 18 workforce qualifications; and delivering seven training plans for subcontractors. The Midas Employment & Skills Coordinator and the Academy’s Mentor & Recruitment Manager spoke to approximately 300 students about careers in construction, as part of an assembly. Including those employed by the supply chain, the site supported 17 apprentices.
  • The project employed 95.2% small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), with 95% of SMEs based within 30 miles of the site.
  • The team donated timber offcuts and old pallets to a local scout group; supported the school’s construction curriculum; and Midas sponsored the school’s football kit.

KPI’s & Statistics

Apprentices: 17
Average AIR: 0.7
Average CCS: score 37
Waste diverted from landfill: 100%
Cost/m²: 2,874m2
Cost/m²: excl abnormals 2,189m2