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To stay as we are will mean:
No Disability Discrimination Act compliance.
High running costs due to lack of insulation and high maintenance costs due to the ageing fabric of the building.
Facility utilisation cannot be increased and may well reduce as the facility continues to degrade.
We will not be able to expand participation within the existing user groups or allow additional groups to use facilities.
Risk of structural failure leading to immediate closure and expensive repairs.
Cost: £0
Refurbish
Refurbishment will involve a number of areas of expense which will not increase the lifespan of the facility by more than another 5-10 years.
This work can be broken down as follows:
DDA: £177,000 (based on an experts report)
Toilet and kitchen installation in large hut: £129,000
General maintenance including a new floor: £65,000
Insulation installation and replacement of heaters: £129,000
Small hut maintenance including a new floor: £65,000
This will allow existing user groups to continue and to have limited expansion but this will mean that the long term future is not secure.
Cost: £565,000
Relocate
Relocation would result in sharing facilites with whoever the existing users are but we currently need every weekday and weeknight available to meet our current users needs without trying to accommodate requirements of new user groups. Other facilities in the area are already close to maximum facility usage and lack flexibility.
We currently have 0.67 acres of secure green outdoor space which is extensively used and trying to find a local facility with equivalent space and security is virtually impossible.
Due to the current usage of other facilities there is nowhere to store furniture and equipment required by the user groups.
The risk is that some user groups may disappear due to lack of other suitable facilities.
Rebuild (preferred option)
Rebuilding will give us a modern long life structure to current building standards with reduced heating and running costs.
The new building will also meet the needs of the Disability Discrimination Act.
The two replacement halls under one roof will result in simultaneous use of facilities and will allow the letting percentage to increase from 34% to 100%.
Rebuilding will also result in the retention of the open green space for outdoor activities.
The rebuild plan will also result in more offstreet parking resulting in safer access to the facility and less inconvenience to local residents.
We will also provide covered cycle storage and shower facilities to encourage greater cycle useage.
We have considered the risk that rebuilding may result in the loss of some user groups in the short term although the small hut will be available throughout the rebuilding process to allow usage without the need for relocating most of our user groups. We have consulted our user groups and they have confirmed that they will stand by us throughout.
We will be using local contractors and suppliers for the project.
The roof design will incorporate a high insulation factor and will allow maximum use of natural light into the facility.
The design of the facility is thermally efficient and will reduce running costs and capital expenditure thus improving the sustainability of the facility. The lower profile of the building will also improve the aesthetics of the facility.
We have applied for planning permission and have included a copy of the planning application and drawings.
Cost: £832,000
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact us:
rebuild@1stcatisfieldscoutgroup.org.uk.
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