Rother District Council Agenda Item: 7.5
Report to - Cabinet
Date - 5 December 2011
Report of the - Director of Services
Subject - Public Conveniences’ Refurbishment
Recommendation: It be RESOLVED that:
1) the investment programme be placed ‘on hold’ for a three year period, to allow the Council to manage the current financial resetting programme, in response to Government cuts.
OR
2) subject to the appropriate level of funding being secured through the sale of assets, the project architect, BBA, be retained for Stage Two of the design process and the capital programme priority is secured by Cabinet for the refurbishment;
3)subject to the approval of 2) above, officers enter into immediate dialogue with those Parish and Town Councils who have expressed an interest in taking on responsibility for the provision of public conveniences within their locations;
4)a further report be made with a schedule of proposed asset disposals together with confirmation of those public conveniences to be refurbished where agreement to devolve responsibility has been agreed.
Head of Service: Kim Ross
Lead Cabinet Member: Councillor Kenward
History
1. This Council provides a total of 32 public conveniences (PCs) throughout the district, provided under the provisions of the Public Health Legislation for the well-being and good health of residents and visitors to the district. The provision of public conveniences is not a statutory service.
2. Cabinet recognised the need to refurbish its public conveniences and gave approval for the appointment of a project architect on a two stage process; minute CB09/56 refers. Stage One: the preparation of schematic plans including initial forecast costs and Stage Two: detailed designs, preparation for planning application stage and detailed cost estimates. Stage Two would only proceed subject to a further report to Cabinet.
Current position
3. The work undertaken to date by the project architect, BBA of Bath, has produced a range of design options which are innovative yet designed with construction and on-going maintenance costs in mind. A total of 8 PCs were approved by Cabinet for refurbishment: Winchelsea Beach and Winchelsea Town, Pett Level, Rye Harbour and East Parade, West Parade, Marina and Devonshire Square, Bexhill. The costs to date for professional fees associated with Stage One designs are £7,500.
4. The proposals received from the architect are a combination of refurbishment of existing structures and demolition / rebuilds. This is based on 3 generic designs (see Appendix 1). The architect’s professional costs for Stage Two design work would be £22,500, with estimated outline costs for the actual construction and building works associated with his proposals, in excess of £1million. Detailed costs will not be available until the first phase of Stage Two of the design process is commissioned and completed. The project would still be subject to the uncertainties of open and competitive tenders and final costs can only be estimated at this time.
Proposal
5. Discussions with the Head of Finance and Directors of Resources and Services have raised concern over the timing of this project and the current Council financial position. The Council is currently seeking to reduce its revenue commitments by £1.7m in the coming year via a range of resetting projects. It is a difficult time to seek additional funding for any capital works, especially as the final build and project costs remain unknown.
6. If monies were secured for this project from the sale of assets, we could rebuild and refurbish what is required in these areas, and then consider devolvement and lowering costs. At this time, it is not possible to devolve public conveniences, which in some cases will shortly need to be closed due to health and safety reasons, as they are in such a dilapidated state.
7. All work associated with Stage One is now complete and the architect has received payment; there are no outstanding financial commitments on this project. This proposed work however will only affect 8 PCs; the remaining 24 PCs will still require refurbishment in subsequent years.
8. The 8 PCs featured in this report (paragraph 3 refers) were included as they would all greatly benefit from major investment. They are in serious need of major refurbishment or demolition and would greatly enhance other projects, specifically Bexhill seafront.
9. With the outline plans in place for the refurbishment / rebuilding of the 8 PCs planned, officers have limited the current expenditure on all the PCs identified to basic repairs and maintenance. This in turn has resulted in some PCs which do not present a good image of the town / village, Council or the district as a whole. A prioritised list has therefore been produced which clearly sets out the reasons for including the individual PCs and the implications of not investing in the infrastructure.
10.
Priority score / Location / Current Condition / Implications of not proceeding and preferred action.1 / Winchelsea Beach
(Dogs Hill) / This is a brick and concrete structure which is in very poor decorative order with severe damp and collapsing rendering to internal walls. The facility is heavily used by visitors to this section of the coast and is the only PC between Pett Level and Rye Harbour. Due to the nature of this facility it is only open for public use in the summer months. / The high levels of damp and structural deterioration in this facility will result in its permanent closure within a maximum of five years if significant investment is not committed.
Demolish and rebuild
2 / Winchelsea Town / The building is subject to subsidence and has been subjected to a series of repairs in an attempt to prolong its life. This is the only PC in the village and is used by locals and a significant number of motorists travelling along the A259.
Advice has been received from Winchelsea Heritage that this site has significant local historic value and would require further research by means of an archaeological survey. This will have a two-fold effect on this part of the project causing a delay and potentially increasing costs. / Due to the structural problems within this building its economic life is limited. It is estimated that without major investment to either demolish and rebuild, or significant structural repairs, it has no more than a five year life span remaining.
Demolish and rebuild
3 / Pett Level / This is the same construction as that of Winchelsea Beach PC and has the same structural and decorative problems. This facility is however open all year round. / The high levels of damp and structural deterioration in this facility will result in its permanent closure within a maximum of ten years if significant investment is not committed.
Demolish and rebuild
4 / Marina, Bexhill / Situated on Channel View East, it is one of only three PCs on the whole of Bexhill Seafront. The facility is within a larger structure, not wholly owned by RDC. The integral nature of this PC makes it difficult to modify. It is however a key facility and is situated at the eastern end of the current seafront renovation project (Next Wave). The facility is heavily used but of poor layout and does not project a good image of the town or district to visitors. / The poor decorative order of this facility will continue to deteriorate over the years and will require constant redecorations and upgrades.
Due to the location of this facility within a large structure it is difficult to achieve more than a complete internal refurbishment.
Major internal Refurbishment
5 / West and East Parades, Bexhill / These facilities are located on the parades in prominent positions and are extremely well used. Unfortunately due to their design they are subjected to high levels of vandalism, in some instances this has been a total destruction of all the facilities within the PC. / With no intervention these facilities will continue to be the subject of significant vandalism. In their present condition they have a negative impact on the landscape works recently completed as part of the Next Wave project.
Demolish and Rebuild
6 / Devonshire Square, Bexhill / This facility is located in the centre of Bexhill and has a very high level of use. It is based in a structure owned by Network Rail; we are therefore limited in the size and external layout of this structure.
Its condition can best be described as average and no longer reflects well on the town or RDC. / Currently meeting the minimum standards required by the Council and the public. Will require on-going and higher levels of maintenance.
Major internal Refurbishment
7 / Rye
Harbour / A small facility located at the southern end of Rye Harbour Road, extensively used by visitors to the general area and specifically to the Nature Reserve. The brick built structure is small and located on the edge of residential housing. / Will continue to meet the basic needs of the visiting public and will require frequent redecoration and refurbishment.
Demolish, Relocate and Rebuild
Options
11. Cabinet is therefore requested to consider the long term forward plan for the provision of PCs in the district. Options are to:
1) Place the investment programme on hold for a three year period to allow the Council to manage the current financial problems brought about by Government cuts.
In considering this option there would be an accumulating cost of repairs and maintenance not completed to date and further dilapidations which will need to be resolved at the end of the three year period. Any delays in commencing the building works associated with this project will see an increase in costs over time due to inflation and could go well beyond the £1 million plus budget already suggested.
2) Approve the appointment of the project architect, BBA, to proceed with Stage Two of the design process at a cost of £22,500, based on the priorities set out in Paragraph 10 above and agree a programme of investment to be financed by asset sale to meet the £1 million build cost for the first 8 PCs, with the intention of devolving these PCs to Town/Parish Councils on completion.
Anthony Leonard
Director of Services
Risk Assessment Statement
The current state of the PCs are impacting on reputation, Building Maintenance and cleaning resources due to the poor state. There is also an imminent risk that some will need to be closed shortly due to health and safety issues and the fact that some buildings have structural problems.
In the longer term the Council will need to further consider the future maintenance of its remaining 24 PCs and their upgrade and refurbishment.
cb111205 – Public Conveniences 1