Stoke on Trent College of Further Education Estate Strategy - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

1 / 69
About This Presentation
Title:

Stoke on Trent College of Further Education Estate Strategy

Description:

Stoke on Trent College of Further Education Estate Strategy – PowerPoint PPT presentation

Number of Views:53
Avg rating:3.0/5.0
Slides: 70
Provided by: helen83
Category:

less

Transcript and Presenter's Notes

Title: Stoke on Trent College of Further Education Estate Strategy


1
January 2007
Stoke on Trent College of Further Education
Estate Strategy
2
Contents
  • Executive Summary
  • 1. Introduction Page 7
  • 2. Educational Aspirations Page 9
  • 3. The Current Estate Page 17
  • 4. Future Estate Objectives Page 25
  • 5. Available Options Page 27
  • 6. University Quarter Position Page 43
  • 7. Risks Page 58
  • 8. Conclusions and Recommendations Page 59
  • Appendix A College Financial History
  • Appendix B Option Appraisals
  • Appendix C University Quarter Funding Breakdown

3
Executive Summary
  • This document presents the property case for
    Stoke on Trent College in assessing their current
    estate. GVA Grimley has been appointed to carry
    out an Estates Strategy for the College along
    with a joint Estates Strategy for Stoke on Trent
    College, the City of Stoke on Trent Sixth Form
    College and Staffordshire University in Stoke, as
    the Stoke on Trent University Quarter. This
    report represents the Colleges Estates
    Strategy, along with the summary of the Joint
    Estates Strategy findings to identify a preferred
    way forward for the College.
  • Educational Case
  • Stoke on Trent College is a general further
    education institution in Stoke, North
    Staffordshire. The College delivers provision for
    2,380 16-18 FTEs and 4,800 adult 19 FTEs.
    Changes in demographics follow the national
    trend, with a reduction in 16-18 students
    occurring over the next few years. To compensate
    for this demographic reduction the college is
    addressing the high level of NEETs in Stoke on
    Trent. Although the College will suffer from a
    drop in adult funding over coming years, this
    will be counteracted by increases in Train to
    Gain and other employer-based training.
  • The Unitary Authority of Stoke on Trent is in the
    the eighteenth most-deprived Local Authority Area
    in England. Less than 10 of the Citys
    population possess a Degree or Diploma, compared
    to almost 20 nationally. Average wage levels are
    significantly below those for the rest of
    Staffordshire and the West Midlands. Stoke is the
    seventh most deprived district in England in
    terms of Education. This needs to be addressed
    through the future direction of Stoke on Trent
    College.
  • The College aims to raise student success rates
    further and raise participation in both Further
    and Higher Education. Through working with the
    LEA, LSC and other local providers. As a
    vocationally-focused College, focusing on
    employer requirement in terms of skills and
    qualifications is essential to the College. The
    College is also working with Stoke on Trent Sixth
    Form College and Staffordshire University in
    Stoke, along with the City Council, the LSC and
    other local partners to bring about education-led
    regeneration in the area known as the University
    Quarter, around Stoke on Trent Station.

4
Executive Summary
  • The Current Estate
  • Stoke on Trent College is located on two main
    campuses. The Cauldon Campus is located between
    Stoke and Hanley Town Centres and the Burslem
    Campus is located to the North of Hanley Town
    Centre. Additional Construction training is
    provided from leased accommodation at Lingard
    Street, close to the Burslem Campus. The College
    also owns additional sites with the Snow Hill
    Building, close to the Cauldon Campus and the
    Lindsay Annex, a community building owned but not
    occupied by the College, close to Hanley Town
    Centre. The College provides additional
    provision in a series of outreach centres located
    around the North Staffordshire region, including
    leased accommodation at 40 Trinity Street,
    Longton NC and Tunstall NC and neighbourhood
    centres.
  • The College underwent piecemeal development
    across their campuses in the 1950s and 1960s.
    This has resulted in the retention of aged
    inflexible spaces, unsuitable to current teaching
    methods and group sizes, combined with some more
    modern buildings. Recent investment has focused
    on the Burslem Campus, with the recent completion
    of a new construction block. The remaining estate
    is unsuitable for College requirements, with
    condition problems associated with aged
    accommodation.
  • With the College serving separate communities,
    with split site provision, there is duplication
    of administration space. Significant investment
    will be required if the College is to retain
    their existing buildings, with maintenance costs
    escalating indefinitely.
  • The current quality of College buildings,
    particularly across the Cauldon Campus does not
    deliver an image of a quality modern further
    education institution. With significant plans in
    place for the regeneration of Stoke, particularly
    with relation to the development of College Road
    and the Cauldon Canal, the College needs to
    invest in their estate to improve the overall
    quality of their learning environment. The
    current location of the Cauldon Campus, situated
    between Stoke Road and College Road, and the
    Cauldon Canal and Hanley Park, offers exciting
    opportunities to be involved in the regeneration
    of the City.

5
Executive Summary
  • Strategic Estate Objectives
  • The College needs to meet a number of College Key
    Strategic Objectives through improvements to
    their estate. These are outlined below.
  • 1. Provision of flexible modern accommodation
    meeting College requirements
  • 2. Enhancement of the College image to match
    that of local schools and other providers
  • 3. Rationalisation of existing space
  • 4. New student services and administration space
  • 5. New Sixth Form Centre at Burslem
  • 6. Opportunities for collaboration
  • 7. Enhance employer links
  • 8. Minimise potential disruption
  • Without further investment Stoke on Trent College
    will solve none of these objectives.
  • Options
  • A range of options has been considered for the
    College, both in quantitative and qualitative
    terms, in line with the Colleges Strategic
    Estate Objectives. This has concluded that the
    most viable option for the College is to remodel
    the Cauldon Campus and rationalise the Burslem
    Campus. Subsequently the Joint Estates Strategy
    for the University Quarter identified that the
    preferred option for the Group was to focus
    around Station Road, with the College
    redeveloping their existing Cauldon Campus. This
    option allows the College to remodel their
    estate, focusing on College Road and also the
    adjacent park.

6
Executive Summary
  • Risks
  • New build on the Colleges campuses presents a
    series of risks. Phased onsite development needs
    to be managed efficiently to ensure that
    disruption is minimised and timescales are not
    extended.
  • There is need for early discussions with the
    Local Planning Authority to ensure that
    development is permissible and an outline
    application can be submitted for disposal of part
    of the Burslem Campus. The College has recently
    received Planning Permission for the first phase
    of development for the creation of the Centre of
    Vocational Excellence in Care and Service
    Industries. Gaining positive funding support will
    also be essential for this project. The estimated
    project costs total 67 million and funding
    opportunities from the LSC need to be acted upon
    as early as possible.
  • There is also risk associated with the
    development of collaborative facilities,
    particularly in relation to the Creative Village
    and Business and Professional Services Centres.
    The College has a limited timescale in which to
    submit a funding bid to the LSC. Any project will
    therefore need to be developed quickly to ensure
    that all facilities are completed in the same
    timeframe as the new College estate. If this
    cannot be adhered to, there is uncertainty
    surrounding whether the opportunities for joint
    facilities can be fulfilled.
  • Conclusions and Recommendations
  • The preferred option for the College and
    University Quarter as a whole is for the College
    to redevelop their Cauldon Campus and rationalise
    their Burslem Campus. This will achieve the
    Colleges Strategic Estate Objectives and help to
    bring about the education-led regeneration of the
    University Quarter.
  • Having decided on a preferred option, the
    College needs to move forward quickly to look at
    the feasibility of this preferred option in more
    detail. Onsite development risks need to be
    assessed along with collaborative project
    opportunities. The project can then be taken
    forward to achieve capital funding Approval In
    Principle from the LSC, to bring about a new
    estate that can deliver the Colleges objectives
    both now and into the future.

7
1. Introduction
  • Stoke on Trent College is one of Englands
    largest Further Education College, providing both
    full time and part time further and higher
    education courses across a wide range of
    curriculum areas. The College operates across two
    main campuses the Cauldon Campus located between
    Stoke and Hanley Town Centres and the Burslem
    Campus, three miles north of the Cauldon Campus.
    The College also owns the freehold of two
    additional buildings, the Snow Hill building and
    the Lindsay Annex. Additionally the College
    delivers significant outreach provision in
    community venues across north Staffordshire.
  • The Colleges previous Property Strategy was
    approved by the College Corporation and the
    Learning and Skills Council (LSC) in November
    2002. The first phase of the Property Strategy
    was completed with a new building at the Burslem
    Campus to house the Colleges Centre of
    Vocational Excellence (CoVE) in Construction. The
    second phase is currently being implemented, with
    the College having recently submitted a funding
    bid to the LSC for a new building to house the
    Centre of Vocational Excellence in Care and
    Service Industries at the Cauldon Campus. The
    College now requires a new Estates Strategy to
    take their current estate through to 2010 and
    beyond, particularly focusing on enhancing the
    poor quality of accommodation at the Cauldon
    Campus, in line with the development of Stoke on
    Trent University Quarter.
  • The Estates Strategy will assist in developing an
    estate that is fit for purpose and which can
    respond to current and future curriculum demands.
    This is an important management tool for the
    College to ensure that the estate is being used
    as efficiently as possible and that accommodation
    continues to meet educational objectives.
  • A series of options are considered in line with
    the Colleges Strategic Estate Objectives to
    identify a preferred option and way forward for
    the College estate.

8
1. Introduction
  • Stoke on Trent University Quarter
  • The College, together with the City of Stoke on
    Trent Sixth Form College and Staffordshire
    University in Stoke established the University
    Quarter to bring about education-led regeneration
    in Stoke on Trent and encourage progression from
    schools into further and higher education and
    beyond. The University Quarter group consists of
    the three educational institutions, along with
    the City Council, LSC, Advantage West Midlands,
    The Regeneration Zone and RENEW North
    Staffordshire. The University Quarter will work
    in partnership to bring about the regeneration of
    the area, through improving progression,
    attracting investment into the area and becoming
    a distinct exciting area of the City focused
    around Stoke on Trent railway station.

The adjacent diagram outlines GVA Grimleys
approach to the production of a Joint Estates
Strategy for the University Quarter. To find the
right solution for the Quarter, there first needs
to be separate Estate Strategies carried out for
each institution. The preferred option must meet
the Strategic objectives of each of the
institutions, outlined through the production of
separate Estate Strategies, to assess their
requirements and available options in details.
These will then be fed into a Joint Strategy for
the University Quarter.
FE College
University Quarter
Sixth Form College
University
Space needs Efficiencies Options Student
Impacts Costs Funding Favoured Options
Further Space Efficiencies Combined
Options Student Impacts Costs Funding
9
2. Educational Aspirations
  • This section of the document looks at the
    Colleges educational aspirations. These will
    drive decisions about their future property
    needs.
  • Development of Mission and Strategy
  • Stoke on Trent Colleges Mission for 2005-2008 is
    to deliver Excellence in education and skills
    for work and life. The College delivers
    provision to almost 6,500 FTEs, the majority of
    which study on further education courses. The
    College aims to continue to deliver a wide range
    of courses whilst delivering courses in
    conjunction with local employers requirements,
    thus targeting the skills need and encouraging
    learners into work after education completion.
  • The College aims to achieve the following
    strategic objectives, responding to LSC national
    and local priorities
  • Raise and sustain student success rates to the
    top quartile for General FE Colleges
  • Empower individuals with the breadth of skills
    they will need for a successful life
  • Through the Collegiate and partners in North
    Staffordshire raise participation in education
    and training at 16 and 17 towards the national
    average
  • Increase the proportion of local learners
    progressing to and achieving HE qualifications
  • Engage the community in the Learning and Skills
    agenda
  • Increase progression and achievement into Higher
    Education and
  • Enhance the Colleges financial performance to
    support the continuous improvement in quality
    through investment in staff and an inspirational
    learning environment.

10
2. Educational Aspirations
  • Learner Needs in Stoke on Trent and North
    Staffordshire
  • The Unitary Authority of Stoke on Trent is made
    up of the six towns of Hanley, Burslem, Longton,
    Stoke, Tunstall and Fenton. Originally, Stoke on
    Trents economic structure focused on the
    traditional industries of manufacturing,
    engineering and ceramics. Over many years there
    has been a significant decline in these
    industries resulting in high economic inactivity,
    with around 18,000 jobs lost in manufacturing in
    North Staffordshire between 1998 and 2003.
  • The economic history of Stoke on Trent has left a
    socio-economic structure that consists of a high
    proportion of the population in routine or
    semi-routine occupations, totalling almost 31,
    above the national average of 21. The numbers of
    people in professional and managerial occupations
    remains significantly below the national average
    at 16, compared to 27 nationally. Out of 376
    local authorities, Stoke ranks 374th in terms of
    professional and managerial occupations. The
    economic structure has resulted in low levels of
    household income and Stoke on Trent remaining
    amongst the top 5 of the most deprived
    districts in England.
  • Stoke on Trent is the eighteenth most deprived
    Local Authority Area in England and the third
    most deprived Local Authority in the West
    Midlands with high indicators of poor housing and
    health. Whilst the rate of unemployment is
    comparable with the National Average (2.3
    compared with the National Average of 2.1), the
    rate of incapacity benefit is 13 compared to the
    National Average of 7.3. Only 9.9 of the Citys
    population possess a Degree or Diploma compared
    with the National Average of 19.9, placing Stoke
    as 367th of 376 Local Authority areas. The
    English indices of deprivation 2004 rank the City
    as the seventh most deprived district in England
    in terms of Education and the twelfth most
    deprived in terms of Health. Average household
    income remains more than 25 below the National
    Average and the rate of Income Support is 50
    above the National Average.
  • The College has striven to raise participation
    rates in the late 1990s and early 21st Century.
    Enrolment rates have increased from 25,000 to
    40,000 in this period. Current LSC policy
    regarding short courses and non-priority
    provision has seen some reduction in student
    numbers over the last 2 years. However the
    College endeavours to increase participation
    further, working with other providers and the
    LSC, to address the economic and social profile
    of Stoke on Trent.

11
2. Educational Aspirations
  • Stoke on Trent University Quarter
  • The University Quarter is a partnership between
    Staffordshire University, Stoke-on-Trent College,
    the City of Stoke-on-Trent Sixth Form College,
    the City of Stoke-on-Trent Council and the
    Learning and Skills Council. The University
    Quarter is an exciting radical innovative
    opportunity to bring about education-led
    regeneration across the Stoke-on-Trent area,
    enhancing progression into both further and
    higher education. The University Quarter will
    build on the physical proximity between the
    institutions, to create a new gateway into Stoke.
    The partnership is working with other
    stakeholders, including Advantage West Midlands,
    North Staffordshire Regeneration Zone and RENEW
    North Staffordshire. Representatives from each of
    these bodies and the Institutions themselves make
    up the University Quarter Steering Group.
  • The University Quarter aims to enhance
    progression routes, encouraging students not only
    to enter post-16 education, but also to continue
    into higher education and beyond. There is a need
    to engage all age groups throughout the
    community. The creation of new high quality
    teaching facilities, developed between the
    institutions, will encourage students to enter
    into and stay on in education. There is a need
    for both a physical and cultural change in the
    overall image of the educational offer in
    Stoke-on-Trent.
  • Due to the location of the University Quarter,
    lying close to Stoke Town Centre and Stoke
    railway station, the partnership is ideally
    placed to enhance the regeneration of the area.
    There are many regeneration opportunities
    including the Roebuck Street site, the Stoke
    Links Site, the Stoke Station Car Park and Royal
    Mail site and the former quarry site at Fenton.
    The Shelton area is also potentially an area of
    future housing market renewal.
  • The new developments have the potential to
    attract inward investment into the area, making
    the area an attractive place to learn, work and
    live.

12
2. Educational Aspirations
  • The National and Local Agenda
  • The DfES White Paper Further Education Raising
    Skills, Improving Life Chances was produced in
    March 2006. This document highlighted the
    importance of improving success rates and focus
    on employability. A clearer mission for Further
    Education is being established, centred on
    developing skills and the attributes required for
    employment, to meet the demands of the economy.
    The LSC targets the reduction by at least 40 of
    the number of adults in the workforce lacking an
    NVQ level 2 or equivalent qualification by 2010.
  • Focusing on employability will result in every
    institution developing areas of specialist
    excellence. This is already the case at Stoke on
    Trent College, with CoVEs concentrating on Care,
    Construction in partnership with Burton College
    and Business and Professional Services, with
    Tamworth and Lichfield College. The College is
    also currently the largest Train to Gain
    Contractor in the West Midlands. The College
    plans to continue to work with local employers to
    develop provision that responds to employers
    needs. In the future new National Skills
    Academies will be developed, which will act as
    centres of excellence in skills and training and
    be led by employers, supported by Skills Sector
    Councils. This potential increase in competition
    is encouraging colleges to focus on their areas
    of specialisation and work with local employers
    to ensure that students have all skills required.
    Skills for Life is an important area of College
    provision, and one that will continue to expand
    into the future in line with national and local
    targets.
  • The College is targeting those Not in Education
    Employment or Training (NEETs) through devising
    appropriate programmes to attract and retain
    those who are at risk of not engaging in post-16
    education and training.
  • Focusing on improving participation, progression,
    retention and skills levels will contribute
    significantly to the Government and LSCs agenda,
    particularly with regard to the economic
    regeneration of Stoke on Trent. Involvement in
    the University Quarter with Staffordshire
    University and the City of Stoke on Trent Sixth
    Form College, will also provide the opportunity
    for joint provision to encourage progression from
    further to higher education in Stoke on Trent.
    This compliments the existing Sixth Form College
    in the North of the City with a joint facility
    with Stoke on Trent College at Burslem.

13
2. Educational Aspirations
  • Curriculum Change
  • Stoke on Trent College provides a vocational
    curriculum, driven by local employment and
    retraining. There are four main areas of
    delivery
  • 14-16 provision - this is a significant area for
    the College, with circa 1,000 students
  • 16-18 provision - this focuses on local
    employment requirements and apprenticeships
  • Adult Education - 80 of students, although this
    would suffer from funding cut backs but for Train
    to Gain and Planned Learning Accounts
  • Higher Education - part time recruitment is
    increasing
  • The College specialises in distinct delivery
    areas across its two campuses.
  • Cauldon Campus
  • CoVE in Care (with planning permission for new
    build)- this is a strong area of College
    provision, with strong links to the local Health
    Service.
  • Hair and Beauty Hospitality and Catering - the
    size of this provision has contracted, but the
    level of provision will now remain constant.
  • IT - a strong area of provision, particularly for
    external training.
  • Science - modest delivery across the College
  • Business and Professional Services - this is an
    expanding area and its Leadership and Management
    area is likely to be the subject of a future new
    build development in conjunction with the
    University Quarter, with the support of Advantage
    West Midlands.
  • Teacher Education and Access Courses - this was
    rated very highly at a recent inspection by
    OFSTED.
  • Skills for Life and ESOL - this is a large area
    of provision and will continue to be focused on
    in the future.
  • Sports and Leisure - popular areas of provision
    for the College
  • Public services provision - uniformed services
    and army preparation, which is a major area of
    growth.

14
2. Educational Aspirations
  • Burslem Campus
  • CoVE in Construction - this is now housed in the
    Colleges Phase 1 new build development.
    Provision continues to expand with 14-16
    delivery.
  • Engineering - this area is continuing to decline
    with falls in local employment.
  • Motor Vehicle - this is an area of growth for the
    College
  • Media - this is a popular area of provision
  • Performing Arts - this continues to be a popular
    area of College delivery
  • Sixth Form Centre -this area is jointly managed
    with the City of Stoke on Trent Sixth Form
    College. Discussions are taking place with Sir
    Thomas Ward Catholic Secondary School which also
    has Sixth Form provision about a combined
    facility.
  • Financial Position
  • Over the past 10 years, the College has
    demonstrated effective financial management, but
    is now back in Financial Health Category C as a
    consequence of the events set out below. Having
    very successfully addressed the widening
    participation agenda, the College is now
    suffering from cutbacks in adult funding and
    other funding changes. Increasing fee charges to
    adults in the Stoke conurbation, a deprived low
    wage area, has significantly reduced student
    numbers, but the College is successfully leading
    the employer engagement strategy in
    Staffordshire, partially off-setting the adverse
    financial effects of other recent LSC policy
    changes.
  • Despite the steps taken to improve financial
    performance, the College is not well placed to
    take on significant additional borrowing to fund
    this Estate Strategy. A detailed financial
    history of the College is included in Appendix A.

15
2. Educational Aspirations
  • From the assessment of the current curriculum
    requirements, the College has identified the
    following educational aspirations
  • Improve visibility and environment of College
    Cauldon Campus- the current configuration of the
    buildings on the Cauldon Campus results in
    limited visibility. The College therefore needs
    to make the most of the College Road frontage,
    along with development facing the adjacent park,
    to enhance the overall environment offered to
    students and staff. The location of the site,
    situated between College Road and Stoke Road, and
    the Cauldon Canal and Hanley Park provides
    significant opportunities to create an enhanced
    environment for students and staff, in line with
    local regeneration projects.
  • Provision of a modern learning environment - the
    quality of learning spaces across the College
    estate is hampered by the dated nature of
    existing buildings. This reduces the ability of
    the College to compete with other local
    providers.
  • New Sixth Form Centre - if the Sixth Form Centre
    is to remain on the Burslem Campus there is a
    need to increase the visibility of this area of
    College provision. The Centre is currently hidden
    within the main College block, and the new Centre
    will need to have a distinct identity.
  • Focus on Collaborative Opportunities - the
    College is a leading partner in Stoke on Trent
    University Quarter. Developments across the whole
    University Quarter are therefore important in the
    development of the Colleges Cauldon Campus.
    There is potential for collaborative facilities
    to be created, and provision may be able to be
    moved from the Colleges Burslem Campus to the
    University Quarter area, if synergies are
    apparent. The College is also a leading provider
    of 14-16 education in Stoke on Trent and
    continues to work with local schools, with
    Construction at Burslem, being a expanding area
    of provision. The College continue to work in
    partnership with the City Council and other local
    bodies to bring about the economic and social
    regeneration of Stoke on Trent, and this is a
    significant factor of any College developments
    into the future.

16
2. Educational Aspirations
  • Flexible Modern Accommodation
  • The age and design of College accommodation makes
    it inflexible and unsuitable for current and
    future requirements. This is the case across the
    College estate, with the exception of the new
    Construction CoVE building and the proposed CoVE
    in Care and Service Industries. The College
    estate needs to be flexible in order to
    accommodate changes to requirements. This is
    particularly the case in the following areas.
  • Work-related environments - the College delivery
    is increasingly demand-led, through working with
    local employers to meet their requirements.
    However the quality of accommodation on offer is
    often not the same standard as that provided in
    the work-place. There is a need for modern
    industry-standard accommodation that reflects
    the quality of facilities provided within the
    workplace.
  • Social spaces - both the Cauldon and Burslem
    Campuses suffer from a lack of social spaces.
    Both have small sports halls but these are
    insufficient for College requirements. Ideally
    students require access to a greater variety of
    sports facilities. Refectories are too small for
    College needs.
  • Learning Resource Centres - The College has
    developed a series of Learning Resource Centres
    throughout their buildings. These are limited in
    size and space and modern technologies may be
    more efficiently utilised in centralised
    facilities.
  • Additional space for 14-16 students - the College
    continues to deliver a wide range of curriculum
    areas to school students. There has recently been
    additional space leased at Lingard Street in
    Burslem, to provide Construction provision for
    school students. There is scope to move this
    provision into J Block, which currently houses
    Performing Arts and Media, but was originally
    designed to become a Construction facility, if
    Performing Arts and Media can be relocated to
    Cauldon or the University Quarter.

17
3. The Current Estate
  • Stoke on Trent College currently operates from
    two main sites
  • Cauldon Campus at Shelton lying between Hanley
    Town Centre and Stoke Railway Station and
  • Burslem Campus to the north of Hanley Town
    Centre.
  • The table below identifies the total College
    estate.
  • The Colleges freehold accommodation currently
    totals 41,040 square metres. This includes the
    Lindsay and Snow Hill Annexes. The Lindsay Annex
    is not currently used by the College. The College
    intends to sell Snow Hill and the Lindsay Annex,
    vacate 40 Trinity Street and Lingard Street and
    retain the Longton and Tunstall neighbourhood
    centres.

18
3. The Current Estate
  • The Cauldon Campus
  • The Cauldon Campus lies between Hanley Town
    Centre and Stoke on Trent Railway Station. The
    Campus is a long rectangular site, lying between
    two main roads, with the canal to the north and
    park to the south. The position of the site
    between these boundaries provides little space
    for expansion.
  • The majority of accommodation dates from the
    1960s, with the most recent investment being the
    new library in 1993, as outlined in the table
    below.
  • Development on the Campus has generally occurred
    in a piecemeal fashion. The site originally
    housed three separate Colleges, which today form
    Stoke on Trent College. Due to restricted space
    onsite there are many buildings, with limited
    open space.

19
3. The Current Estate
  • The Cauldon Campus
  • Previous recent investment implemented as part of
    the previous Estates Strategy, has been focused
    on the Burslem Campus with the creation of a new
    Construction Centre of Excellence. The second
    phase of development, outlined in the previous
    Estates Strategy was the creation of a Centre of
    Vocational Excellence in Care and Service
    Industries on the Cauldon Campus. This involves
    the demolition and replacement of the Urquhart
    Building, which remains the poorest building on
    the College estate. The accommodation is aged and
    there has been little recent investment in the
    fabric of the building. Problems associated with
    old copper piping and mains wiring therefore
    remain. Windows also single glazed and
    ventilation is poor throughout the building.
    There are areas of concern with the corrosion of
    the external cladding along with asbestos present
    in the ceiling. The College has looked into
    performing remedial works on the building to make
    the accommodation fit for purpose. The building
    would need to be vacated for a period of
    approximately 8-12 months and significant
    de-mountable accommodation would be required
    on-site. The cost of these works has been
    estimated at 3.8 million, including professional
    fees and a limited contingency. The College has
    recently obtained planning permission to replace
    the Urquhart Building with the new accommodation,
    fronting onto the adjacent park.
  • However the majority of the remaining
    accommodation across the Cauldon Campus is unfit
    for purpose and suffers from condition problems
    associated with the age and design of the
    buildings. The large number of buildings on site,
    created through piecemeal development over a long
    time period, does not provide the vibrancy of a
    further education Campus, that could be delivered
    through emphasising the adjacent opportunities of
    the park, canal and main roads. Buildings vary in
    quality, with the Knapper and General buildings
    being notable examples of the poor quality
    accommodation on site. The Taylor Building and
    New Library Building remain the best buildings
    on site, being fit for purpose, but not without
    condition and suitability problems. If the
    College is to develop their Cauldon Campus
    further, building on their location-related
    opportunities and complementing the new Centre of
    Vocational Excellence in Care and Service
    Industries, there needs to be a complete
    redevelopment of the site. This is particularly
    important as any development will need to be
    phased over a number of years to keep the site
    operational whilst new build occurs. The Taylor
    Building and New Library Building would therefore
    have deteriorated further by the time new build
    is complete, highlighting the inefficiencies and
    poor quality of these buildings in comparison to
    the rest of the estate.


20
3. The Current Estate
  • The Burslem Campus
  • The Burslem Campus is situated approximately 3
    miles north of the Cauldon Campus. It comprises
    of 6.9 hectares, with residential to the front of
    the site and industrial to the rear of the site.
    The site is less densely developed that the
    Cauldon Campus, with separate buildings,
    developed between the 1960s and 2005. The most
    recent development is the Construction Centre of
    Vocational Excellence, which was completed as
    Phase 1 of the Colleges previous Accommodation
    Strategy.
  • A detailed breakdown of space is identified in
    the table below. The quality of accommodation
    varies according to age.

Many of the buildings across the Burslem Campus
are industrial buildings which are used for
educational use. Both the learning resource
centre and the Performing Arts and Media
accommodation are located in buildings originally
designed as workshops. The C and D blocks also
both suffer from major structural issues, with
the corrosion of wall ties. These buildings will
require major investment. The A and B block form
one multi-storey building at the front of the
College site. This houses the Colleges general
purpose teaching classrooms and also the Sixth
Form Centre accommodation. The J block, or
Venue 4 is good quality industrial
accommodation, although there have been problems
with the curved structure of the roof. This was
originally built to house Construction, but now
accommodates Performing Art and Media Studies.
21
3. The Current Estate - Estate Constraints
  • There are a series of estate constraints across
    the College Campuses that hamper the learning
    experience that the College is able to offer.
    These are outlined below
  • College Image - The quality of the overall
    College estate does not encourage students to
    enter the College, particularly in an
    increasingly competitive environment. The
    Building Schools for the Future project will
    result in significant investment in the local
    schools in the area. Students need to progress
    into accommodation of a similar quality. With
    local FE competitors also investing in new build,
    it is essential that Stoke on Trent College
    invests in providing high profile accommodation
    that will encourage people to study at the
    College.
  • Piecemeal development and remodelling - the
    Colleges previous development has occurred in a
    piecemeal fashion due to the nature of the
    Colleges present estate. The College now has
    some good quality buildings, for example the
    Construction Centre at the Burslem Campus, but
    this remains surrounded by buildings with a
    limited longevity. The LSC funding window is
    currently wide open, and the College needs to be
    big and bold in their development projects for
    the future. The development of the Care and
    Services Building on the Cauldon Campus is the
    first step in this development, but the remaining
    estate needs to be Masterplanned to ensure that a
    comprehensive project ensures.

22
3. The Current Estate - Estate Constraints
  • Ageing Accommodation - the majority of the
    College accommodation dates from the 1960s and
    1970s and have limited longevity. There are
    significant structural, suitability and condition
    issues across the College accommodation due to
    the original design. Condition problems
    associated with flat roofs continue to manifest
    themselves. There are also problems associated
    with original single glazed windows, electrical
    re-wiring, plumbing and asbestos in the original
    buildings on site. Blocks C and D at Burslem and
    the Sports Hall at Cauldon all have significant
    structural issues. These buildings all need to be
    replaced in the near future. Running and
    maintenance costs, which are already high, will
    continue to accelerate as the buildings continue
    to deteriorate.
  • Pressure on Spaces
  • Due to the age of accommodation, the majority of
    older space across the College is inflexible.
    This includes the following areas
  • Learning Resource Centre - the College has a
    series of LRCs located around the College
    accommodation. Although the main LRC at the
    Cauldon Campus is one of the newest buildings,
    dating from the 1990s, it is difficult to
    accommodate recent technological advances.
  • Administration Space - the large numbers of
    buildings means there is some duplication of
    administration spaces across the sites.

23
3. The Current Estate - Estate Constraints
  • Pressure on Spaces
  • Specialist Facilities - many of the Colleges
    specialist vocational facilities are housed in
    inappropriate space. For example the performing
    arts space is housed in a building originally
    created for Construction training. There needs to
    be an assessment of the synergies between
    curriculum areas in the remodelling of
    accommodation. Performing Arts and Media Studies,
    both residing at Burslem, may better compliment
    the range of curriculum on offer at Cauldon and
    also link to developments within the University
    Quarter.
  • Social Spaces - there are limited social spaces
    available across both campuses for either
    students or staff. At Cauldon there is a small
    sports hall and gymnasium, along with a small
    refectory, but these are inadequate for student
    requirements. Hanley town centre is also a long
    walk from the campus, so there are few other
    alternatives for the students. There is a similar
    problem at Burslem, although a large common room
    along with a sports hall is provided for
    students. However there are issues over the usage
    of common areas, by both College students and
    Sixth Form College students. The College needs
    modern fit for purpose recreational areas for
    both their students and staff. The sports halls
    on offer are dated and additional sporting
    facilities are also required. It may be possible
    to create additional social space in conjunction
    with the University Quarter developments.
  • Teaching and Storage Space - across the College
    accommodation rooms are inflexible due to
    building age and design. Spaces therefore cannot
    be changed to meet the demands from changing
    teaching practices and group sizes.

24
3. The Current Estate - Estate Constraints
  • Although there are many constraints across the
    overall College estate, there are also many
    benefits that the College appreciates from their
    current locations. These are outlined below
  • Cauldon Campus
  • University Quarter Linkage - This campus remains
    the linkage between Hanley City Centre and Stoke
    on Trent Railway Station and the University
    Quarter. It is located on the University Quarter
    boulevard which is central to the regeneration
    to the Stoke on Trent area.
  • Opportunities for further development - The
    College has recently submitted a capital funding
    bid to the LSC for the development of a Centre of
    Vocational Excellence in Care and Service
    Industries on their existing site. If funding is
    approved the College will be committed to
    investing in further stages of development to
    remodel their existing site. This first stage
    will open the College Campus out into the
    adjacent park, transforming the overall
    environment on offer.
  • Burslem Campus
  • New Build Accommodation - the Colleges best
    accommodation is currently located at the Burslem
    Campus, with the Construction Building, completed
    in 2005, and Venue 4/ J Block completed in the
    1990s.
  • Serving a Distinct Market - this site serves a
    distinct market to the north of Stoke on Trent.
    It is also the focus for the Colleges more
    dirty industries such as Construction and
    Engineering. This is complimented by industrial
    buildings on offer, providing work-related
    environments for study.

25
4. Future Estate Objectives
  • Analysis of the Colleges current and future
    requirements, through discussions with their
    Senior Management Team and a review of their
    property has identified the following Future
    Estate Objectives, that must be fulfilled through
    the Estates Strategy for the College.
  • 1. Provision of flexible modern accommodation
    meeting College requirements
  • 2. Enhancement of the College image to match
    that of local schools and other providers
  • 3. Rationalisation of existing space
  • 4. New student services and administration space
  • 5. New Sixth Form Centre at Burslem
  • 6. Opportunities for collaboration
  • 7. Enhance Employer Links
  • 8. Minimise potential disruption
  • These estate objectives have been used to
    formulate options, which have been appraised both
    quantitatively and qualitatively. The option
    appraisals are presented in the following
    section.

26
4. Future Estate Objectives
  • Space Requirements
  • The College currently operates with a space
    utilisation of 25.6 across the estate. This
    indicates that the College buildings are
    inefficient, due to their inherent flexibility,
    as this falls far below the LSC space utilisation
    target of 40.
  • The Colleges space requirements have been
    assessed using the Learning and Skills Council
    methodology. This process is outlined below.
  • Current onsite daytime Guided Learning Hours
    (GLH) 3,670,587
  • Minimum Number of Workplaces (MNW) 2,549
  • GLH divided by 1440 (the number of hours in a
    year of 36 weeks of 40 hours each)
  • Space Target at 11.5 per MNW 30,461 Sq m
  • 11.5 sq m per MNW is the minimum LSC
    requirement, an additional 1,500 sq m is allowed
    for balance space
  • Space Target at 14.5 per MNW 38,461 Sq m
  • 14.5 sq m per MNW is the maximum LSC
    requirement, an additional 1,500 sq m is allowed
    for balance space
  • Current Space 44,513 Sq m
  • The College therefore currently has too much
    space and with the vocational focus of the
    curriculum, should target an estate of circa
    36,000 Sq m.

27
5. Strategic Development Options
  • This section of the report appraises a series of
    options for the future development of the College
    estate in financial and property-related terms.
    The preferred estate option should be based on
    the balance of quantitative (financial) and
    qualitative analysis.
  • The options considered are
  • Option 1 Do Minimum - refurbishment of all
    accommodation at the Cauldon, Burslem and Snow
    Hill Campuses, except the new Construction block.
  • Option 2 Radical New Build - Complete new build
    at Cauldon and significant new build at Burslem.
  • Option 3 New CoVE Building and Remodel - new
    build and refurbishment across both Campuses.
  • Option 4 New CoVE Building and new build -
    complete new build at Cauldon and new
    build/refurbishment at Burslem.
  • Option 5 - New site and Burslem - downsize
    Burslem with relocation of Cauldon to a new
    Campus.
  • Option 6 - Relocation - relocate both the Cauldon
    and Burslem Campuses to a new build development.
  • Option 7 - Co-Location - Sixth Form College
    Co-locates on the Cauldon Campus

28
Option 1 Do Minimum
This option assumes that the College invests in
the refurbishment on their existing estate. This
represents all accommodation at Burslem, Cauldon
and Snow Hill, with the exception of the new
Construction Centre at Burslem.
  • Space Assumption 44,912 sq m
  • 37,000 sq m refurbished
  • Cost 47 million
  • Acquisition Costs 0
  • Receipts 100,000
  • From disposal of Lindsay Annex
  • Running Cost Savings 107,000 pa
  • Students Loss of 2.5 pa for 5 years
  • NPV -108.7 million

The significant amount of refurbishment is
assumed to result in major disruption to the
College, resulting in a loss in student numbers
for a five year period. Although the quality of
accommodation is improved, inherent building
problems continue to manifest themselves.
Therefore this is an expensive option with
minimal benefits for the College future.
29
Option 1 Do Minimum
The table below identifies how Option 1
Refurbish the existing estate, responds to the
Colleges Strategic Objectives for their estate.
This option assumes that the College invests in
refurbishment. Generally buildings improve, but
the College continues to be unable to meet their
Strategic Objectives through their estate. This
option provides a high level of investment for
limited reward. With no new build the College
gains no flexible accommodation and no
opportunities for new student services/
administration space, new Sixth Form Centre or
the enhancement of employer links. Significant
disruption occurs with the refurbishment of
practically the whole College estate.
30
Option 2 Radical New Build
This option assumes that the College completely
rebuilds the Cauldon Campus and commits to some
new build at Burslem to replace A, B, C and D
blocks and the sports hall.
  • Space Assumption 36,921 sq m
  • 22,000 sq m at Cauldon and 14,000 sq m at
    Burslem, Longton and Tunstall NCs
  • Cost 75.5 million
  • new build of 22,000 sq m at Cauldon and 8,300 sq
    m at Burslem
  • Acquisition Costs 0
  • Receipts 3.3 million
  • 5 acre disposal at Burslem, Lindsay and Snow Hill
    Annexes
  • Running Cost Savings 644,000 pa
  • Additional 3.8 million of savings from removal
    of the Urquhart Building
  • Students Loss of 2. pa for 1 year
  • subsequent gain of 3 pa for 1 year
  • NPV -41.5 million

New build occurs over a 5 year period. This
results in some disruption, although this is
minimised across both College sites. Significant
running cost savings occur with the replacement
of much of the College accommodation with new
build development. The overall accommodation is
significantly reduced, with a focus on the
Cauldon Campus, consisting of 22,000 sq m of
accommodation, compared to 14,000 sq m at
Burslem.
31
Option 2 Radical New Build
With radical new build investment across the
estate, the College is able to satisfy the
majority of College Strategic Estate Objectives.
New build allows flexible modern accommodation to
be created, along with student services/
administration and a new Sixth Form Centre.
Modern work-related environments can be created,
in line with employer requirements, improving
overall linkages. Space is rationalised across
the estate, with a focus towards the Cauldon
Campus, enhancing opportunities for collaborative
ventures relating to Stoke on Trent University
Quarter. It is assumed that performing arts and
media studies are moved to Cauldon to link in
with other developments. However the College also
retains the Burslem Campus and their distinct
catchment area. However this option is very
expensive and from the Net Present Value appears
to be unsound financially for the College.
32
Option 3 New CoVE Building and Remodel
This option assumes that the College redevelops
the Cauldon Campus, replacing the Urquhart,
Knapper and General Buildings with the New
Library and Taylor Buildings refurbished. The A,
B, C and D blocks at Burslem are replaced and the
sports hall refurbished.
  • Space Assumption 36,921 sq m
  • 20,000 sq m at Cauldon, 16,000 sq m at Burslem
    and Longton and Tunstall NCs
  • Cost 60 million
  • 20,800 sq m new build and 6,500 sq m refurbished
  • Acquisition Costs 0
  • Receipts 3.33 million
  • From disposal of 5 acres at Burslem and the Snow
    Hill and Lindsay Annexes
  • Running Cost Savings 667,000 pa
  • Additional 3.8 million of savings from removal
    of the Urquhart Building
  • Students Loss of 1 pa for 1 year
  • Subsequent gain of 4 pa for a 2 year period
  • NPV -4.18 million

With a significant amount of new build, there is
assumed to be some disruption for the College,
with subsequent increase in student numbers.
33
Option 3 New CoVE Building and Remodel
The College invests significantly across their
estate, but some older buildings still remain
that have a limited longevity. Piecemeal
development of the Cauldon Campus results in a
campus that continues to lack focus and in future
years there will be a mixture of poorer quality
accommodation, along with good quality
accommodation. Although there is significant
flexible accommodation created, which could
accommodate changes to student services, social
facilities and a Sixth Form Centre, this is not
the case throughout the College. Thus these
Estate Objectives are only partially solved
through the Colleges investments. With the
retention of the Cauldon Campus, the College
still has the opportunity to be integrated in the
University Quarter developments. The first stage
of this is the completion of the Colleges new
CoVE building in Care and Service Industries. As
this project is already in detailed development,
it is assumed that the whole project can be
commenced sooner than for the previous options.
34
Option 4 New CoVE Building and New Build
This option assumes that the College completely
rebuilds the Cauldon Campus, commencing with the
new CoVE building. The Burslem Campus is
downsized, with new build replacing the A, B, C
and D Blocks along with the Sports Hall and
refurbishment of F Block and Venue 4.
  • Space Assumption 36,921 sq m
  • 22,000 sq m at Cauldon, 14,000 sq m at Burslem
    and Longton and Tunstall NCs
  • Cost 74.9 million
  • 27,200 sq m new build and 5,300 sq m
    refurbishment
  • Acquisition Costs 325,000
  • Purchase of depo site from Council at Cauldon
  • Receipts 3.33 million
  • Disposal of 5 acres at Burslem, Snow Hill and
    Lindsay Annexes
  • Running Cost Savings 760,000 pa
  • Additional 3.8 million of savings from removal
    of the Urquhart Building
  • Students Loss of 1 pa for 1 year
  • Subsequent increase of 4 for 3 years, then
    constant
  • NPV 1.51 million

This is an expensive option for the College, with
radical new build, commencing within the next
year with the new CoVE building at Cauldon.
However this results in significant running cost
savings and the College gains additional students
after project completion from the increased
numbers of 18 year olds staying on in education
and targeting the NEET population in the improved
quality of accommodation.
35
Option 4 New CoVE Building and New Build
This option meets the majority of College
Strategic Estate Objectives. With significant new
build across the estate the College can
rationalise their estate with the provision of
modern flexible accommodation. Work-related
environments are created, along with new student
services and social space and a Sixth Form Centre
at Burslem. With the downsizing of the Burslem
Campus there are opportunities to bring
Performing Arts and Media Studies down to the
University Quarter area. There is significant
potential for collaborative facilities both with
the City of Stoke on Trent Sixth Form College and
Staffordshire University at Stoke. There is
significant disruption with onsite new build, but
this is minimised as much as possible through the
phasing of development. The complete new build of
the Cauldon Campus allows the College to remodel
the whole site, providing a quality learning
environment and adding to the vibrancy of the
University Quarter.
36
Option 5 New Site and Burslem
This option assumes that the College relocates to
a new site within the University Quarter. New
build occurs at Burslem to replace the A, B, C,
and D Blocks and the sports hall. The F Block and
Venue 4 are refurbished. The Cauldon Campus is
subsequently sold as a residential development
opportunity.
  • Space Assumption 34,921 sq m
  • 20,000 sq m new site, 14,000 sq m at Burslem,
    Longton and Tunstall NCs
  • Cost 70.8 million
  • 25,200 sq m new build and 5,300 sq m
    refurbishment
  • Acquisition Costs 1.1 million (notional)
  • Receipts 9.0 million
  • Disposal of Cauldon, Snow Hill, Lindsay Annex and
    5 acres at Burslem
  • Running Cost Savings 860,000 pa
  • Additional 3.8 million of savings from removal
    of the Urquhart Building
  • Students Loss of 0.5 pa for 1 year
  • Subsequent increase of 3 for 2 years on
    completion
  • NPV -5.7 million

This is an expensive option for the College due
to the need for site acquisition. However this is
offset by the disposal receipts released. The
large amount of new build leads to significant
running cost savings and increases in students
after new build completion.
37
Option 5 New Site and Burslem
With new build accommodation at the new site,
along with some new build at the Burslem Campus,
the College is able to deliver a quality teaching
and learning environment and improve the overall
image of the College. This new accommodation
can cater for the demands of changing teaching
practices and also the requirements of local
employers, providing work-related environments.
Relocation of the Cauldon Campus to the heart
of the University Quarter, likely to be Roebuck
Street, allows the College to gain new
collaborative opportunities, by being located
closer to both Staffordshire University at Stoke
and the City of Stoke on Trent Sixth Form
College. With new build on a new site the
College minimises disruption, although some
disruption does occur at the Burslem Campus with
new build and refurbishment.
38
Option 6 Relocation
This option assumes that the College relocates
all provision to a new site, with the disposal of
all College current campuses.
  • Space Assumption 34,921 sq m
  • 34,000 new build on one site, retention of
    Longton and Tunstall NCs
  • Cost 86.6 million
  • Acquisition Costs 1.6 million (notional)
  • Receipts 11.5 million
  • From disposal of all other freehold owned
    property
  • Running Cost Savings 1.0 million pa
  • Additional 3.8 million of savings from removal
    of the Urquhart Building
  • Students Gain of 4 pa for a year
  • NPV -21.9 million

This option is the most expensive for the
College, however it also releases the highest
level of receipts. Significant running cost
savings occur, with the replacement of all older
accommodation with new build. With relocation to
a new site, the College is assumed to lose some
of their student catchment area, therefore
increases in student income are not as
significant as for previous options.
39
Option 6 Relocation
The replacement of all accommodation with one new
build development allows the College
accommodation to be completely efficient and
rationalised to 30,000 sq m. In this
accommodation the College will have a new image,
and be able to respond to the needs of learners,
staff and employers, and also contribute to the
regeneration of the Stoke on Trent area.
However the College may not replicate their
Sixth Form accommodation if they were to
relocate. It is likely that the College would
relocate to either further into the University
Quarter or to somewhere between their current new
locations. This would have a significant effect
on the Colleges catchment area and there may not
be a requirement to offer Sixth Form
accommodation. This option is dependent on
finding an available site, within a suitable
timescale and at a suitable cost. The amount of
risk associated with this option is therefore far
greater than for the other options presented to
the College.
40
Option 7 Co-Location
This option assumes that the City of Stoke on
Trent Sixth Form College co-locates with the
College on the Cauldon Campus. The Cauldon Campus
is completely remodelled and the Burslem Campus
has new build to replace the A, B, C and D
Blocks, along with the Sports Hall and F Block
and Venue 4 are refurbished.
  • Space Assumption 35,921 sq m
  • 21,000 sq m at Cauldon, 14,000 sq m at Burslem,
    Longton and Tunstall NCs
  • Cost 72.4 million
  • Acquisition Costs 0
  • Receipts 4.0 million
  • Disposal of 5 acres at Burslem, Snow Hill and the
    Lindsay Annex and part of Cauldon to the Sixth
    Form College
  • Running Cost Savings 558,000 pa
  • Additional 3.8 million of savings from removal
    of the Urquhart Building
  • Students Loss of 1.5 pa for 1 year
  • subsequent gain of 4 pa for 2 years
  • NPV -19.6 million

Development is assumed to occur over a 5 year
period on the Cauldon Campus. This results in
some onsite disruption and loss of student
numbers. Subsequently the College gains
additional students on completion of the College
estate. Ho
Write a Comment
User Comments (0)
About PowerShow.com