Decision details

Following approval of the statutory process Moor Allerton Hall Primary School is due to expand to three forms of entry with effect from September 2019.  This request seeks to secure funding to enter into the design and build contract with the appointed construction company and to complete all tasks subsumed within the construction contract.  In brief this includes all necessary internal remodelling, enhancement of welfare facilities, external on-site works and construction of the new teaching block as necessary to enable Moor Allerton Hall to meet its new net capacity of 630 pupils.

Further to Minute No. 124, 19^th December 2018, the Director of Childrens and Families submitted a report on the proposed expansion of Moor Allerton Hall Primary School with specific reference to the proposed entering into a Joint Contracts Tribunal (JCT) 2016 contract with Leeds D&B One Co. for the delivery of critical works which were required to adhere to the expansion programme. In addition, the report sought the necessary approvals to enter into related contracts and to incur the necessary expenditure.

Responding to a Member’s enquiry, the Board discussed and received further information on the estimated overall costings for the scheme, and what the estimated costs, as detailed within the submitted report, were comprised of.

RESOLVED –

(a)  That the expenditure of £5,653,729.02 from capital scheme number 32737/MAL/000 for the construction work and associated fees for the expansion of Moor Allerton Hall Primary School, necessary for occupation from September 2019, be approved;

(b)  That the acceptance of the tender submitted via the Leeds Local Education Partnership in the sum of £4,730,797 inclusive of all professional design fees incurred by the appointed contractor, development costs and surveys incurred by the contractor, be authorised; with it being noted that this figure includes the previously approved sum of £355,503.43 for the completion of the necessary ‘Early Works’ packages, and that the release of funding for the construction costs will be subject to valuations completed and validated by NPS Ltd. (Leeds);

(c)  That the requirement to enter into a contractual agreement with Leeds D&B One Co. in order to deliver the development at Moor Allerton Hall Primary School, be authorised, which will take the form of a JCT 2016 head contract between the authority and Leeds D&B One Ltd. for the sum of £4,730,797;

(d)  That approval be given to the entering intoa deed of variation with Environments for Learning Leeds PFI One Limited, in order to exclude the existing service road across Allerton Fields from the PFI site for Allerton Grange School in order that such access road can be remodelled as part of the development at Moor Allerton Hall Primary School;

(e)  That approval be given for the resolutions, as minuted, from this report to be exempted from the ‘Call In’ process, on the grounds of urgency, as detailed within sections 4.5.1 – 4.5.4 of the submitted report;

(f)  That it be noted that the estimated scheme cost of £5,653,729.02 includes: £4,730,797 for construction works (this is the contract / tender submission value inclusive of £355,503.43 of previously approved ‘Early Works’ costs); professional fees and survey costs of £509,285; £30,000 for loose furniture and equipment; £55,500 for supporting costs and a client held contingency commensurate to the scale and complexity of the project; with it also being noted that the construction cost includes £358,694.00 of ‘on-site’ Highways upgrades to facilitate the conversion of the PFI service road into a drop-off loop serving both Moor Allerton Hall and Allerton Grange School, with it being further noted that this solution has been developed in conjunction with Planning and Highways in response to evidenced congestion and road safety issues in the locality and which represents a significant and critical ‘abnormal’ added to the scheme during design development;

(g)  That it be noted that the officers responsible for the implementation of the above resolutions are the Head of Service Learning Systems and the Head of Projects and Programmes, Asset Management and Regeneration, and that approval be given to authorise such officers to enter into all other agreements which are required to deliver this project.

(Under the provisions of Council Procedure Rule 16.5, Councillor A Carter required it to be recorded that he abstained from voting on the decisions referred to within this minute)

(The Council’s Executive and Decision Making Procedure Rules state that a decision may be declared as being exempt from the Call In process if it is considered that any delay would seriously prejudice the Council’s, or the public’s interests. In line with this, the resolutions contained within this minute were exempted from the Call In process, as per resolution (e) above, and for the reasons as detailed within sections 4.5.1 – 4.5.4 of the submitted report)

The formal proposal to expand the school was subject to a separate statutory consultation process.  The required construction project arising from this has been subject to separate consultation with the parties noted below.  Ward member briefings have taken place prior to planning being submitted, further to this a multiple pre-planning drop-in sessions were held at the school for parents, carers and local residents.

The proposal to expand Moor Allerton Hall Primary School has been subject to the following consultees; Executive Member for Learning, Skills and Employment, Moortown Ward Members, Leeds City Council Planning Department (including landscape & urban design), Allerton Grange School and their PFI provider, Leeds City Council Highways Department, Leeds City Council Asset Management Department, Staff at the existing school, local residents, parents and carers in the affected wards.