STRATEGIC ESTATE MANAGEMENT

LINGFIELD EDUCATIONAL TRUST

BACKGROUND

d3associates were appointed to develop a Strategic Estates Management Strategy to assist the Trust to effectively manage their school buildings and grounds. The Trust currently has six primary schools in the Darlington and Middlesbrough areas, ranging from imposing Victorian brick buildings to a new 420 pupil, timber frame, low carbon primary, with biomass boiler and sedum roof.

The team undertook baseline condition surveys over the range of school buildings, focussing on the external fabric of the building and weather tightness, the mechanical and electrical services installations and internal condition. This information was fed into a Planned Maintenance Plan, which included estimated budget costs for repairs or replacement. The Trust was now able to plan and prioritise maintenance across all sites. In addition, d3associates looked at ways to reduce health and safety risks, including addressing safeguarding issues helping to ensure the schools meet statutory and legislative requirements.

OUTCOME

The condition reports informed a strategic estate management plan for the Trust including risk registers which itemised the elements of work that require undertaking. These detailed risk, potential impact and any mitigation action to date to produce a colour coded risk score identifying risk as either critical, intermediate or low. Using the condition reports as evidence, d3associates prepared and submitted capital funding applications to the Condition Improvement Fund for vital roof repairs to two schools.

Following the success of the CIF bids, d3associates were appointed as project managers for the replacement of roof coverings on two of the six schools in the Lingfield Trust.