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East Anton Primary School

Andover, Hampshire

  • Client

    Hampshire County Council

  • Contractor

  • Value

    £13m

  • Completion Date

    October 2018

The Challenge

To minimise energy consumption and maximise occupant comfort, our team focused on the careful design of the building form and selection of materials. In particular, the layout of the proposed building features south facing classrooms with north facing clerestory glazing. This arrangement offers good opportunities for providing generous natural daylight with natural cross ventilation and effective shading from excessive solar gain.

The Solution

Willmott Dixon’s team of education experts have created a new 420 place primary school in Andover. The school provides places for students aged from 4-11 years old and is likely to expand in the future with elements already in place to accommodate this.

This arrangement offers good opportunities for providing generous natural daylight with natural cross ventilation and effective shading from excessive solar gain. The school is highly sustainable with photovoltaics on the roof which provide 10% of the building’s energy use.

The Results

The Primary school provided 420 places for students aged from 4-11 years old and is likely to expand in the future with elements already in place to accommodate this. Set within the East Anton Major Development Area (MDA) the school is being built alongside 2,850 new homes with developer Taylor Wimpey.


1


Apprentices

91.25%


SME Spend

20.5%


Added Value

10


Client Satisfaction

Client Testimonials

“We are delighted to have created this new sustainable school in Andover, creating much needed school places for the local community.”

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Contractor Performance | Commitments


Fair

100% of payments were made promptly and within 30 days


Sustainability

98% diverted from landfill


Safe

Zero harm


Legacy

  • Created 9 new jobs through the project
  • Career guidance events
  • Provided over 186 weeks of training onsite


Aftercare

SCF handover and aftercare process carried out

SCF Framework Manager

Kingsley Clarke

Email: kingsley.clarke@devon.gov.uk

Phone: 07805760622

Contractor Framework Manager

Guy Dawes

Email: guy.dawes@willmottdixon.co.uk

Phone: 07989 179444

Police Investigation Centre, Portsmouth

  • Client

    Police and Crime Commissioner for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight

  • Contractor

  • Value

    £23m

  • Completion Date

    April 2019

The Challenge

Building on the success of the Basingstoke PIC [link], the challenge was set by OPCC to develop an identical facility for the Portsmouth site but deliver it quicker and cheaper. Whilst this excluded site abnormals, the focus was on seeking efficiencies in the design by adopting an off-site manufacture / kit of parts approach.


The Solution

Using the BIM model to carefully interrogate the design the focus was on which elements of the design could be premanufactured and delivered to site, taking the benefits of quicker delivery. The building cores were one focus area, rather than a concrete cast in-situ approach, these were revised to a twin-wall solution. The MEP installation was another focus area, with plant modules being manufactured off-site alongside horizontal services modules for distribution across each floor.

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The Results

The programme benefits delivered through the adoption of premanufacture achieved an approximate 3 week saving and consequential cost saving. The wider benefits included quality checked products, reduced site labour and associated health and safety impacts such as periods spent working at height together with a reduced waste.

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Apprentices

£19.3m


SME Spend

£1.4m


Added Value

10


Client Satisfaction

Client Testimonials

“This is such a huge deal operationally, and for the hundreds of officers and staff who are really excited about being here. I know that it will make a vast difference to them, to the effectiveness of what they do, and to their productivity and how they feel.”  

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Contractor Performance | Commitments


Fair

Client and sub-contractor payments made within 28 days of certification date.


Sustainability

The installation of PV’s supported the buildings achievement of BREEAM.


Safe

Zero RIDDORs


Legacy

Programme of engagement with UTC Portsmouth to support curriculum activities.


Aftercare

Mace supported the early occupation and operation of the building through maintaining our MEP and Construction Managers on site for the first 2 months to ensure smooth operation and running of the building.

Barnet Waste Transfer

London

  • Client

    London Borough of Barnet

  • Contractor

    Willmott Dixon logo

  • Value

    £11.9m

  • Completion Date

    July 2017

Architects: Capita

Electrical: Capita

MEP: Capita

The project was a design and build development of Oakleigh Road South Vehicle Depot to create a Barnet Council vehicle depot and a base for their fleet of 46 household recyclable waste collection vehicles.

The Challenge

There were several challenges faced throughout this project. There was restricted access on a long and narrow site which caused difficulties when trying to overcome other challenges such as dealing with the below ground water, removing underground drainage structures and the buried hazardous waste.

The Solution

To overcome the narrow site, the Willmott Dixon team worked in a ‘patchwork’ fashion, sectioning off the works and moving operations around to keep the access road fully open throughout the build.

Willmott Dixon found existing sewers and then got permission from Thames Water to use them instead for the below ground water. They found a solution using a land drain pump to drain the ground water which was causing surface water.

The Results

Now built, the depot will allow Barnet Council to operate its vehicle maintenance and recycling collection fleet from single coordinated site, ensuring the most efficient service for residents across the borough. The construction also consisted of a tractor barn and car parking, together with associated ancillary facilities, a recycling waste transfer building and bulking facility, a two storey office and welfare building.


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New Apprenticeships



Apprentices

88%


SME Spend

£1.2m

Raised levels by introducing engineered ground geotextile, saving £720k
Resulting in programme saving £110k
Added surveys resulting in reduced risk on hazardous waste, saving £205k



Added Value

9/10


Client Satisfaction

Contractor Performance | Commitments


Fair

Regular payments and payment periods did not exceed 30 days


Sustainability

Early contractor engagement realised that by raising finished floor levels by introducing an engineered ground geotextile design produced a saving of c£720k, helping significantly reduce excavated materials


Safe

Zero RIDDORs


Legacy

2 starter apprentices who went on to gain full time graduate employment


Aftercare

SCF handover and aftercare promised carried out

SCF Framework Manager

Alex Nelhams

Email: alex.nelhams@hants.gov.uk

Phone: 07717 003869

Contractor Framework Manager

Guy Dawes

Email: guy.dawes@willmottdixon.co.uk

Phone: 07989179444

Middlemoor Criminal Justice Centre

Exeter

  • Client

    Devon & Cornwall Police

  • Contractor

  • Value

    £25.2m

  • Completion Date

    February 2020

aerial shot of building

The Challenge

The main challenges relating to this project were optimising the design to meet budget and making sure the design of the custody cells were Ministry of Justice compliant.

The Solution

Early appointment formed an ‘integrated team’ newly formed with common agreed objectives were able to de-risk prior to any works commencing on site. This aided and protected final account predictability which contributed to completing on time and on budget.

Built to Ministry of Justice standards using the Yellow book design guide providing first-class accommodation for solicitors and partners has been incorporated in the design, including interview rooms and medical suites. The custody centre will use modern technology to monitor the health of vulnerable detainees and offers a virtual courts system. The linked-hub buildings provide modern office and meeting space for all operational police functions.

  • custody cells
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exterior shot of middlemoor

The Results

Completed on time and on budget. Willmott Dixon worked collaboratively with their Works Partner of the Year, Stephenson Group, to reduce the in-situ concrete frame programme by 12 weeks Exeter Police Station met all the requirements for Time, Cost and Quality achievements: defect free, on budget and handed over on time after being completed two weeks early. The project used 67% Mandated Suppliers and 82% Cat A suppliers, proving that building closer relationships builds trust and improves quality and service BREEAM Excellent certification accredited to design stage and is in UK’s top 10% sustainable buildings.


6

6 work placements and 6 ex-offenders trained in Willmott Dixon’s Building Lives Academy



Apprentices

78%

within 50 miles of the site



SME Spend

£6.3m


Added Value

10


Client Satisfaction

Client Testimonials

“In a crisis our police force has demonstrated an ability to be extraordinarily agile, and the early opening of the station is an example of that”

“There has been a huge amount of work going on behind the scenes to make this happen – mostly around IT systems, and I’d like to thank those who have put in a Herculean effort to make this happen as one part of our response to this serious public health crisis.”

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Contractor Performance | Commitments

Fair

99% of regular payments and payment periods did not exceed 30 days

Sustainability

The facility uses 22% less energy than a traditional building of the same size, generates 68kwh of electricity a year from solar panels and carbon generated from its construction has been offset

Safe

Zero RIDDORs

Legacy

Held 100 school children visits

1,600 students engaged at career events and workshops

2 ex-military personnel joined the construction industry

Aftercare

Zero defects at handover & aftercare

SCF Framework Manager

Kingsley Clarke

Email: kingsley.clarke@devon.gov.uk

Phone: 07805760622

Contractor Framework Manager

Guy Dawes

Email: guy.dawes@willmottdixon.co.uk

Phone: 07989179444

Tor School – Pupil Referral Unit

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Tor School

Glastonbury, Somerset

Project Details



Client
Somerset County Council

Project Manager
Somerset County Council

Architect
NVB Architects

Contractor
Midas Construction Ltd

Value
£2.9m

Contract Period
47 weeks

Procurement Type
Competitive tender – 2 stage

Form of Contract
NEC3 Option A

Size
830m²

Apprentices
6

Project summary

Tor School is a Pupil Referral Unit (PRU) in Glastonbury, one of the first fully integrated PRUs in the UK, which brings together three streams of Somerset County Council’s educational facilities. The school offers alternative educational provision for vulnerable young people who struggle in a mainstream school environment and provides facilities for Key Stages 2, 3 and 4. The PRU includes a Learning Enhancement Centre with facilities for outreach staff. Designed with the needs of the young people in mind, the building’s layout enables direct access from each classroom to dedicated external spaces. The different year groups share specialist spaces, including a breakout room with low-level lighting.

Midas constructed this single-storey, 12 classroom educational building on a design and build contract. This well-insulated building features blockwork render on all elevations with a truss timber roof and robust internal fittings designed to accommodate the specialist needs of the pupils. Midas completed groundworks including drainage and service connections, with internal works including first fix M&E, dry lining, plastering and decorations.

The client scored the project 100% in the customer satisfaction survey at practical completion and the site received a CCS Bronze 2018 National Site Award.



“We were previously a number of different centres that were brought together as one school and in February 2018 we moved into new premises. This is one of the first fully integrated PRUs in the country. As such we try to avoid labelling young people in simplistic ways and we put the needs of the child at the centre of the learning plan we develop.”

Community Engagement

Career Opportunities

  • Six apprenticeships provided through the project

Key Challenges

  • Midas completed a best value review with the client early in the preconstruction process to offer a £566k cost reduction at Gateway 3, with £676k delivered at Gateway 4 including changing the render specification, changing the external paving to tarmac and rationalising the footpaths. Midas saved the client £20k by recommending metal soffits as an alternative product with an improved lifespan and by building for longevity by using hardwood doorframes and achieving an air tightness rating of 3.6m³/hm² (below the target of 5m³/hm²).
  • The team secured the site with Heras fencing, hoarding, signage and gate control, and liaised regularly with the client team and key stakeholders of the Day Centre. To manage the restricted space, Midas negotiated use of an adjacent unpaved area between the site and the ambulance station, used for ambulance parking. Midas created a hard-standing area shared between the ambulance service and the site team during the project, providing them with a finished car park at completion of works. Midas maintained open communication with their staff holding regular update meetings to maintain this amicable relationship.
  • To manage the significant risk to operatives and the public presented by the live services, Midas commissioned a Utility Report and ground scans to provide an overlay of the site footprint and services. The team completed additional service locating procedures prior to breaking ground, with a subsurface scan of the entire site. Midas ensured operatives completed works under a permit to dig system, using site service drawings and hand-held locating equipment. The team coordinated with utility providers for solutions to mitigate the risk and made subcontractors aware of the risk through site inductions and Toolbox Talks. For diversion of the high voltage (HV) cable, the Midas Design Team, electrical engineer and services engineer, in collaboration with Western Power Distribution (WPD), designed and agreed a solution for a service diversion of the HV and low voltage (LV) cables. Midas established clear isolation zones around the buried services, using full barrier protection, with a strict no-dig rule implemented within these areas. Once WPD completed service diversions, Midas backfilled trenches to support and protect the services and reinstated protective barriers to fully segregate these areas from general construction activity. The team identified the location of diverted services using timber posts and Rhino Blocks.
  • Midas undertook detailed site investigations to mitigate project risks and amended the substructure design as a result. Whilst this increased the project duration between Gateway 2 and Gateway 3 it provided more time certainty for the construction phase

Project Takeaways

Our Successes

  • Midas came onto this project at RIBA Stage 1. The Midas Design Team used a Hazard Elimination and Management Schedule (HEMS) to identify, manage or resolve risks on the project. One of the major risks identified was the presence of live services that presented a significant risk to operatives and the public. Midas commissioned a Utility Report, stored in the Common Data Environment using 4Projects, and commissioned ground scans to provide an overlay of the site footprint and services. Midas, as the Principal Designer, reviewed solution drawings constantly; once all stakeholders concurred the best and safest solution, works proceeded as per the agreed design.
  • There was a low risk of flooding on the site. To manage the relatively high water table, Midas designed and constructed the building with a piled foundation solution.
  • The project involved unknown volumes of spoil removal with works including excavation of attenuation tanks and drainage. Midas put contingencies in place to manage this, including a provisional sum for the cost of removals to avoid any additional costs for the client. Midas monitored the volumes excavated, checked and agreed volumes and costs with the client, and reused excavated materials on site where possible.

Our Learnings

  • Wessex Water initially declined our request to connect the new building to the existing sewer system, due to the position of a drainage ditch at the rear of the site. To address this Midas negotiated and agreed with the neighbouring properties to use a tractor on their adjacent land. The site team cleared the ditch and confirmed it was not in use as drainage. Midas issued a report to Wessex Water and secured subsequent agreement to connect to the sewer.

Added Value

  • Of the total firms employed on this project, 96.2% were SMEs with 100% of the project value spent with local companies. The site employed 90% local labour, including advertising jobs through local employment vehicles that led to two full time placements.
  • The team remained on site for two weeks after practical completion to assist with the handover process, resolve any outstanding snagging issues during the building’s initial use and for client services. The Midas team maintained constant communication with the Head Teacher during this period to resolve any issues and ensure a smooth handover.

KPI’s & Statistics

ContractGateway 2 Planning Gateway 3 Contract Agreement Variation
Cost£2,949,492£2,901,181-£48,311
(-0.3%)
Time34 weeks38 weeks4 weeks
(11.8%)

KPI Graphs

Apprentices 6
Graduates 1
Average AIR 0
Average CCS score 40.5
Waste diverted from landfill 92.1%
Cost/m2 £3,502m²
Cost/m2 excl abnormals £2,347m²

Yeovil Innovation Centre

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Yeovil Innovation Centre

Yeovil, Somerset

Project Details



Client
South Somerset District Council

Project Manager
NPS South West Limited

Architect
NPS South West Limited

Contractor
Midas Construction Ltd

Value
£1.5m

Contract Period
40 weeks

Procurement Type
Competitive tender – 2 stage

Form of Contract
NEC3 Option A

Size
1,044m²

Project summary

The Yeovil Innovation Centre is an evolving business community designed for small businesses and entrepreneurs that require high quality, low-cost and flexible work spaces with room for growth. Supported by funding from the Heart of the South West Local Enterprise Partnership, Midas constructed this two-storey extension for client South Somerset District Council to expand the capacity and update resources at this multi-office facility.Located on Lufton Trading Estate to the east of Yeovil’s town centre, the Innovation Centre provides reception and meeting areas for tenants and entrepreneurs looking for the flexibility of short term leases. This extension offers over 1,000m² office accommodation across two floors. The structure is strip footing foundations supporting a portal steel frame, with a block and beam ground floor and precast first floor and roof, and raised access flooring installed to both floors. It benefits from brise soleil solar shading, with internal plasterboard finish that allows for future reconfiguration of the ground floor to meet the changing needs of tenants. Midas’ works included a lift, shell and core finish to the first floor, a single ply roof and landscaping. The project received a score of 96% in the customer satisfaction survey at practical completion.



“The perfect location to nurture and grow your business.”

Community Engagement


Career Development

  • 8 Apprentices through the project

Key Challenges


Budget: Early in the programme Midas’ market intelligence and cost benchmarking works identified a challenge, with the client’s design requirements exceeding their budget allowance. Midas’ commercial team worked closely with the client’s designers and our supply chain partners to deliver £550,000 of value engineering – including changing the structural frame, amending the window and natural ventilation configuration, amending hollow clay pot and lintel solution, and rationalising roof and gutter design – to make the project viable whilst achieving the client’s vision.

Occupied building: Prior to commencement, Midas established a secure construction site perimeter to segregate live works from the Centre, and erected full perimeter Heras fencing with solid hoarding to the front elevation and post and rail fencing to pedestrian routes. Midas liaised with the client in advance of works and completed noisy works at agreed times. The team implemented acoustic protection measures including forming two baffle bunds from soils excavated on site. The team restricted and segregated noisy works, managed the movement of plant, and situated cement mixers on the opposite side of the site from neighbours. The team held regular consultation meetings to update neighbours on the project; allowing one to one discussions and providing advance notice of noisy works to Centre staff. The team monitored noise, dust and vibration levels through the works and across the site. Contractors completed cutting works in designated areas and made sparing use of damping down to manage dust whilst restricting the site’s water use.

Live services: The project included demolition works to form a link opening to the existing structure, and service and utilities connections between the original building and the extension. Midas engaged early with the Centre’s management team and planned works in consultation with them. Thanks to the good relations with the client, the site team developed a mutually agreed programme. This ensured Midas could complete demolition, connection and security works during daylight hours, allowing time to address any potential issues. Midas installed a lockable partition early in the programme to segregate works and mitigate disturbance from noise or dust. The team then installed temporary works prior to commencing demolition to support the structural integrity of the façade whilst forming the structural opening. Midas brought new services to the edge of the extension and existing services to the connection point in the original building, before completing service connections overnight. This simplified the connection process, ensured services were not in use during works and prevented disturbance of the Centre staff.

Project Takeaways

Our Successes

  • Upon review of the original design specification, Midas identified that the ties to secure the steel frame to the Porotherm structural block were unsuitable. Midas raised a technical query and provided an advance warning to the architect, requesting a replacement and utilising more traditional brick ties as a solution.
  • Midas requested the precast concrete stairs be delivered with pre-cut pockets on the horizontal treads, so that the team could fit scaffolding bars directly into them when placing the sections on site. Midas then used these upright bars to connect handrails, providing a time-effective safety solution that avoided noisy cutting works on site and simplified the scaffolding required.

Our Learnings

  • The site experienced several weeks of high winds, followed by weeks of extreme unseasonal snow during February and March 2018. The inclement weather hit as the team were preparing to install precast concrete planks and the block and beam using a crane. Midas successfully mitigated the impact of the weather and delivered the project on time.

Value Added

  • Midas used a combination of best practice and added value solutions to deliver over £530k (35.5%) of client savings at practical completion Gateway 4. Midas worked with the client to complete a significant redesign of the superstructure at tender stage, including a reduction in floor area, to deliver £500k of savings. The team retained 1,800 tonnes of excavated soil on site, using it to form two acoustic baffle bunds and reusing the materials for base and landscaping for a saving of £22k.
  • The project supported the local economy with 96.2% of the total firms employed being SMEs, of which 40.7% were based within 30 miles of the site.
  • The team developed a Skills Plan for Yeovil college students, including a series of specific site visits and interactive events. The site employed apprentices from Yeovil College and supported two work experience placements through the site. The trainee site manager was a former Royal Marine, who Midas supported into a new career in construction. The team also developed local employment skills by advertising four jobs through local employment vehicles; delivering seven training plans, three supervisor training plans, one leadership and management training plan for subcontractors; and delivering four advanced health and safety training plans for subcontractors.

KPI’s & Statistics

ContractGateway 2 Planning Gateway 3 Contract Agreement Variation
Cost£2,117,646£1,474,292-£545,854 (-30.4%)
Time42 weeks36 weeks-6 weeks (-14.3%)

Apprentices: 8
Average AIR: 0
Average CCS score: 41
Waste diverted from landfill: 99.2%
Cost/m2: £1,574m²
Cost/m2: excl abnormals £1,453m²
Cost/m2: Industry average £ m

Loddiswell Primary School

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Loddiswell Primary School

Loddiswell, Devon

Project Details



Client
Devon County Council

Project Manager
NPS South West Limited

Architect
NPS South West Limited

Contractor
Midas Construction Ltd

Value £2.4m

Contract Period
37 weeks

Procurement Type
Competitive tender – 2 stage

Form of Contract
NEC3 Option A

Size 890m²

Apprentices
3

Project summary

Situated in rural village surroundings, Loddiswell Primary School provides a welcoming and inclusive learning environment. The school is a 150-place, one form-entry single storey building with capacity to expand as the school grows. The school provides four classrooms, complete with interactive whiteboards and modern ICT equipment, a library, school hall and extensive outside space including a multi-use games area and playgrounds.

The building is timber frame with Structural Insulated Panels with a sectional roof, supported by glulam beams. The finished building features a 14kw PV array, larch weatherboarding and rubble stone walling, with an access road and car parking.Externally, Midas completed landscaping works and created a swale planted with wetland wildflowers as part of the Sustainable Urban Drainage Strategy, to help manage drainage, prevent flooding or run off, increase biodiversity and provide a source of natural interest for the pupils.The project scored 88% in the customer satisfaction survey at practical completion and received a CCS 2019 Bronze National Site Award.



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“Our aim is to provide the best possible learning environment for all of the children in a caring supportive atmosphere.”

Community Engagement

Career Opportunities

  • Three apprenticeships provided through the project

Key Challenges

To address the power supply Midas installed air-source heat pumps, with a 14kw PV array on the roof. The building includes wind-catchers to increase natural ventilation, designed through the Building Physics strategy to meet requirements for natural ventilation, solar shading and natural daylight.

Midas implemented Structural Insulated Panel (SIPS) construction. This off site construction method is then fitted at the premises, enabling the team to make the building watertight sooner and resulting in a positive impact on the programme whilst also reducing waste, noise, dust and air pollution on site.

To manage the constrained access Midas restricted delivery vehicle size and scheduled deliveries to avoid rush hour and early mornings, directing site traffic to circumvent the village, and closely managed vehicle movements and timing to avoid disruption. The team reduced site movements by completing a cut and fill exercise, retaining 1,100m³ of excavated materials for the sports pitch and landscaping. The site team monitored the cleanliness of the access road, preempting the need for a road sweeper where necessary, and formed a tarmac car park within the site at the start of the project. Contractors used on-site parking to keep the residential roads clear and the vehicle controller monitored contractor parking to mitigate disturbance to the neighbours.

Project Takeaways

Our Success

  • The client requested several changes near the end of the project. Midas collaborated with them, the consultants and representatives from the school to adjust the programme to accommodate these works and still complete on the agreed date. Midas liaised frequently with these stakeholders to maintain a positive working relationship and accommodate the client’s requests.
  • The site team undertook extensive pre-start planning and consultation with NPS South West and the design team. The clients required the project to receive planning permission prior to them completing purchase of the land; Midas liaised with stakeholders at the preconstruction stage to collaboratively support the planning, in line with the philosophy of the SCF Framework, developing the design to maximise efficiency within the budget through an integrated team. Midas developed the cost plan and risk register with the client team to ensure a collaborative approach.
  • Midas invited representatives from the school to attend regular site meetings, keeping them informed on the progress of works. The team completed a sample room early in the programme, to use as a quality standard for subcontractors, to allow the client and end users to view the planned final standard and décor of the rooms

Our Learnings

  • The site experienced severe inclement weather during the winter and spring of 2017/18. To accommodate this, Midas liaised with the client and the school as a team to agree a solution. Midas completed works to the sports pitch, play area and gazebo at the end of the project during the school summer holidays, an adjustment that suited the school and enabled works to progress whilst mitigating the impact of the weather on the programme.

Value Added

  • Midas delivered over £90k (3.7%) of savings to the client by project completion Gateway 4, with a combination of best practice and added value reviews including: saving £15k through programme mitigation; and saving £56k through early contribution to the risk register and managing potential issues.
  • The project worked to the Employment Skills Plan, providing seven work placements for persons aged 16 or over; supported seven curriculum activities; advertised four jobs through local employment vehicles; supported three NVQ starters through subcontractors; completed seven training plans for subcontractors and supervisor training for one subcontractor; and provided advanced health and safety training for 21 subcontractors. The site provided four of the work experience placements through the ‘Step In Step Up’ careers campaign and subsequently made an offer of employment, with the candidate accepting a job with the site team.
  • The site employed 100% SMEs, with 61% of firms based within 30 miles of the project

KPI’s & Statistics

ContractGateway 2 Planning Gateway 3 Contract Agreement Variation
Cost£2,238,653£2,420,067-£40,300 (8.1%)
Time37 weeks37 weeks0 weeks

KPI Graphs

Apprentices 3
Average AIR 0
Average CCS score 41
Waste diverted from landfill 41%
Cost/m2 £2,793m²
Cost/m2 excl abnormals £1,948m²
Cost/m2 Industry average £ m

Contact:

Email:

Exterior image of Wincanton Primary School

Wincanton Primary School

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Wincanton Primary School

Wincanton, Somerset

Project Details



Client
Somerset County Council

Project Manager
Faithful & Gould

Architect
Atkins Ltd

Contractor
Midas Construction Ltd

Value
£3.3m

Contract Period
43 weeks

Procurement Type
Competitive tender – 2 stage

Form of Contract
NEC3 Option A

Size 1,020m²

Apprentices
4

Project Summary

The client commissioned Midas to construct a two-storey, eight classroom teaching facility at a primary school in Wincanton to increase the school’s capacity and meet the growing needs of the community. The school’s ethos is to deliver high standards of education within a supportive and stimulating environment. The bright and colourful design of the new building provides a visually striking building with extensive play facilities.

The project team delivered inclusive activities to engage pupils and the community with the project. Events included hosting a time capsule and beam-signing ceremony; having twice monthly site visits from Wincanton Primary and local schools; and hosting students from the local college. The school invited the Midas team to judge their ‘Best Digger’ competition and Midas donated £150 as prize money to the school raffle. The project also won a CCS Silver 2018 National Site Award.

The finished building features educational, administration and associated spaces. Midas’ works included partial demolition of a shelter, fit out of the finished building and all associated utilities connections. The structure is steel frame with block and beam flooring, precast concrete staircases and a lift. Midas created gardens and a play area, completed soft landscaping and provided car parking facilities.



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“Children will have had individual Learning Experiences throughout the year that will focus on the build and the construction, as well as having opportunities to make time capsules and be part of momentous ceremonies such as ”Ground Breaking” and ”Bolt Tightening” to mark the end of the project. “

Community Engagement

Career Opportunities

  • Four apprenticeships provided through the project

Key Challenges

The team managed the live educational site through effective collaboration with the school to coordinate the programme of works and schedule external and noisy works around lesson times and exams, timing significant works to occur during school holidays to mitigate disruption. Midas maintained close communication through weekly and ad hoc meetings with the school as required, and detailed restrictions in contractor toolbox talks and during site inductions, with daily monitoring to ensure workers complied with restrictions. The Midas team clearly set out site rules and requirements to all members of the supply chain, confirming site standards and providing recognition and rewards for good performance, and providing copies of the traffic management plan and logistics plan to all operatives. The site scheduled deliveries to avoid busy periods, with no deliveries permitted before 9am and avoiding the end of the school day, and noisy works restricted to the afternoon (3.15pm to 5.00pm) to avoid disturbing lessons.

To incorporate the request for additional works, Midas liaised with the school to agree a revised programme. The team implemented a countdown programme, completed additional hours and carried out quality checks during the works. The Midas team closely monitored contractors during the final stages of the project to ensure workers maintained safety standards during the busiest phase of the works, and maintained careful coordination of subcontractors. The team completed the total project, including additional works, to a high standard of quality and to programme.

To ensure safe installation of the mains electrical substation, Midas completed a ground penetrating radar survey, identifying routes of new and existing services, before compiling a Risk Schedule/ Register. Midas collaborated with SSE (the services supplier who relocated services and removed redundant cables) ensuring the project benefitted from early risk identification. The team encouraged stakeholder input during regular risk meetings, established “no dig” zones along known service routes to reduce risk, used trial pits and hand excavation and completed groundworks under permits to excavate. The team secured Heras panels around the works, with clear signage, and installed protective barriers within public highways during utility connections. At the start of the programme, the site’s power supply ran from generators (with back-up) before connecting into the new mains following installation of the substation. Following this, Midas worked around live services, identifying and removing redundant services in association with SSE.

Project Takeaways

Our Success

  • The school is situated halfway around a one-way system, with a bus stop directly outside and residential premises and commercial businesses in proximity. The school remained live during periods of the project, presenting a significant logistical challenge. Midas created a detailed, bespoke traffic management plan to avoid adversely affecting the neighbours and the local industry, and employed a full-time traffic marshal to supervise site access, ensuring site traffic and parking did not block buses or local access, and managing deliveries. The team installed airlock-type inner Heras gates, to allow delivery vehicles to pull off the public highway into a holding area, performed vehicle safety checks on arrival and departure from site, considered vulnerable road users in the logistics plan, and planned delivery routes to reduce left-hand turns in accordance with Construction Logistics and Community Safety (CLOCS) initiative requirements.
  • The project manager issued weekly ‘Look Ahead’ newsletters for the school, providing details of works completed in the previous week and works planned for the forthcoming week, including warnings regarding potentially noisy works. These regular communications engaged the pupils and local community in the project and contributed to site safety.

Our Learnings

  • The client’s representative raised a concern regarding the fitting of the rainscreen cladding. To assure them that the cladding had been installed safely and correctly, Midas organised a site inspection with a meeting between the representative and the cladding manufacturer. This inspection confirmed the cladding had been safely and correctly installed.

Value Added

  • Midas delivered over £164k of savings for the client by practical completion Gateway 4, through a combination of best practice and added value solutions including drawing on specialist contractors to provide £125k of savings through design advice and alternative products.
  • The site employed 100% SMEs including seven local firms that formed 36.3% of the workforce on the project.
  • The team held regular site visits for the school pupils, providing updates on the site progress to the children, with weekly ‘Look Ahead’ newsletters and progress photos provided for the school’s website. The site manager organised hand-delivered copies of the monthly newsletter to 50 residences and businesses in the local area, and the site held weekly ‘Through the Fence’ presentations for up to 70 pupils at a time, with Wincanton Primary and other local schools. These presentations included safety awareness and progress updates. Midas made presentations to parents during a school fete; donated £150 as prize money for a school raffle; and judged the school’s ‘Best Digger’ competition

KPI’s & Statistics

ContractGateway 2 Planning Gateway 3 Contract Agreement Variation
Cost£3,229,311£3,250,840£21,529 (0.7%)
Time37 weeks37 weeks0 weeks

KPI Graphs

Apprentices 4
Average AIR 0
Average CCS score 42
Waste diverted from landfi ll 93.7%
Cost/m2 £2,995m²
Cost/m2 excl abnormals £2,342m²
Cost/m2 Industry average £ m²

Ashmole Primary School

  • Client

    ESFA

  • Contractor

  • Value

    £7.5m

  • Completion Date

    November 2018


A new-build 2FE school to provide a permanent new home for Ashmole Primary School. The school  created 420 places for pupils aged four to 11 and provides teaching space for KS1 and KS2 along with offices, a sports hall, a community room and a canteen.


The Challenge

The school was built on a land-filled site with debris built up from previous excavations in the local area. The ground was found to contain asbestos and obstructions. The risk was quantified and a management strategy was put in place to remove the asbestos and obstructions from the site. This put significant pressure on the project programme.

The Solution

The use of SIPs achieved a 10 week programme saving during the pre-construction phase and a five week programme saving during the construction phase of the project. This has led to SIPs being used on subsequent SCF and Morgan Sindall projects. The frame, including the roof, floor and walls, was installed in 13 weeks, which is a significant saving compared to traditional construction methods.

The Results

The use of SIPs achieved a 10 week programme saving during the pre-construction phase and a five week programme saving during the construction phase of the project. This has led to SIPs being used on subsequent SCF and Morgan Sindall projects. The frame, including the roof, floor and walls, was installed in 13 weeks, which is a significant saving compared to traditional construction methods.

91.5%


SME Spend

£252k


Added Value

9/10


Client Satisfaction

Client Testimonials

“The on-site management team’s highly professional and collaborative approach enabled the new building to be completed on a demanding programme to a high standard of quality ready for the school to occupy”

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Contractor Performance | Commitments


Fair

100% payment within 30 days terms


Sustainability

98% waste diverted from landfill

100% timber responsibly sourced


Safe

Zero RIDDORs

CCS Score 39/45


Legacy

7 work experience placements

94 apprenticeship weeks

£5k charitable donations

23 SMEs


Aftercare

Soft landings for handover

Dedicated Morgan Sindall point of contact

On-line portal for notifying any defects with 3 priority categories for response times

SCF Framework Manager

James Wright

Email: james.wright@hants.gov.uk

Phone: : 07761 330560

Contractor Framework Manager

Alan Smedley

Email: alan.smedley@morgansindall.com

Phone: 07967 686066

Polden Bower School

Somerset

  • Client

    Somerset County Council

  • Contractor

  • Value

    £16m

  • Completion Date

    May 2021

Project Manager
Aecom

Architect
AWW

Civil Engineer
Services Design Solution

The Challenge

A challenging site that had to battle flooding after a string of winter storms, the team involved have overcome numerous obstacles to deliver the school successfully to Somerset County Council.

The team had to undertake a major value engineering process, which led to a substantial redesign to bring the project in to budget, as well as building on a site with significant drainage issues.

The team designed a bund to provide acoustic protection for the school from the neighbouring motorway (M5), all while maintaining strong and collaborative working relationships between all parties.

However, Willmott Dixon are experts in navigating complex and challenging builds, finding solutions and making sure the works carried out meet expected requirements, so we were able to successfully deliver the project to a high standard.

The Solution

Construction of a new 160 Place All-Through Special Educational Needs School (SEN) with administration facilities, hydrotherapy pool, sensory areas, carparking and other required facilitating and external works on greenfield land. Also include the construction of a spine road to facilitate access to the new school.

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The Results

Willmott Dixon’s team of education specialists have constructed a state of the art, new two-storey SEN School in Bridgwater creating 160 school places, bringing pupils from two existing sites under one roof.

The new all-age school includes accessible classrooms, dining hall, sports hall, sensory and therapy rooms and a hydrotherapy pool. Outside a sensory garden, multi-use games area and adventure playground will provide lots of spaces to support the pupils’ physical and sensory needs.

5


Apprentices

95.7% were local


SME Spend

£3.8m


Added Value

9/10


Client Satisfaction

Client Testimonials

“ These are the next steps in ensuring we have the right provision in the right places for Somerset’s children.  We always do all we can to support children with SEND to attend mainstream school where this is appropriate and also make sure that those with the highest level of need have the right provision. These projects will ensure that children with all levels of need can be educated close to home in their own communities.”

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Contractor Performance | Commitments


Fair

99% prompt and fair payments


Legacy

  • 20 work experience placements
  • 12 local jobs created
  • 19 construction careers information, advice and guidance events
  • 4396 hours spent dedicated to construction support, mentoring and training for both under 24s and over 24s
  • Apprentices spending 585 training weeks on site
  • 30 construction qualifications gained
  • 21 hours in school doing H&S assemblies and site visits
  • 658 hours spent on other initiatives across the community (legacy projects, support with qualifications, community engagement)


Safe

Zero Harm


Sustainability

97% waste diverted from landfill


Aftercare

Handover & Aftercare Contractor Promise

SCF Framework Manager

Kingsley Clarke

Email: kingsley.clarke@devon.gov.uk

Phone: 07805760622

Contractor Framework Manager

Guy Dawes

Email: guy.dawes@willmottdixon.co.uk

Phone: 07989 179444