Delayed school refurbishments in Belle Vale will take place this summer.
A pot of more than £1m is to be spent upgrading Norman Pannell Primary School in the ward over a four month period this summer, subject to approval by Liverpool Council ’s cabinet. The executive team will meet next week to sign off releasing the cash for work to be undertaken from July.
The two phase works were originally slated to begin in 2021 but as a consequence of the Covid-19 pandemic and illness, progress was delayed, according to a local authority report. It said additional funding of £750,000 for the second phase of works will be added to an already agreed budget from the 2021/22 financial year.
READ MORE: Teacher given almost £1m after being punched in the face by pupil
Upon agreement of the terms, which are expected to be held in a closed session of the Cabinet meeting, a contract to go out to tender will be drawn up. The report said the school building on Brownbill Bank was originally constructed in 1970 with the junior block rebuilt in 1994 following fire damage.
It added: “Following a condition survey report dated 2013 various condition works were identified. A feasibility study was commissioned by Kier, design and cost management consultants to Liverpool Council, recommending a phased approach to refurbishment over several years prioritising the heating works initially which were completed in two phases between 2018 - 2019.”
“A further general refurbishment programme; to include rewiring, replacement ceilings and lighting, decoration, replacement of internal fire doors, replacement of obscured polycarbonate glazing and new flooring was recommended by Kier, over a four-year phased approach.”
It is now proposed that work is undertaken this summer “to minimise ongoing disruption to the school”. The third and fourth phases of the scheme “are not intrinsically linked to this proposal and are subject to future grant funding and approvals being in place.”
The report said that those elements will be reported separately to cabinet at a future date. It added that due to the increase in the area being refurbished, a three-classroom temporary accommodation block will be needed on site “to decant pupils into during term time.”
That part of the development will require planning consent and is currently being discussed.
