Gable Hall School – Sportshall Refurbishment and Extension

Gable Hall School – Sportshall Refurbishment and Extension

Key Facts:

Client Name: Gable Hall School
Location: Corringham, Essex
Type of client: Secondary Academy
Services provided by M+C: Building Surveying | Funding Application (ACMF/CIF) | Architectural Design | Procurement | Project Management
Value: £500,437
Contractor: Acclaim Contracts (Roofing), MT Build (Construction)
M+C Lead: Lee Hatwell

A fast-growing school with a newly opened sixth form facility; Gable Hall School places a heavy requirement on its sports facilities. In addition to ‘standard’ curriculum, nearly one fifth of the growing sixth form took A-Level PE (a figure expected to rise in following years), emphasising the workload of the existing facilities. As a result, the main sportshall and changing facilities were beginning to suffer as a result of their age and an exponential increase in maintenance issues. Additionally, no classrooms were located around the facility, hindering class-based learning for PE courses.

Due to the catalogue of issues identified as part of the asset register and a detailed condition survey, and the qualitative issues raised; a strategic decision was made to seek funding from the EFA via the ACMF (now CIF) scheme for larger-scale maintenance works.

Along with the condition survey and asset register/maintenance plan, a range of supporting evidence was collated to illustrate the severity of the conditions and importance of remedial works being undertaken. Within the sportshall itself, major structural work was required to reinstate the playing surface, which had effectively suffered a ‘broken spine’ along it’s length. The barrel vault roof had also failed significantly leading to water ingress throughout creating dangerous conditions indoors and limiting the sportshalls’ use. Changing facilities were grossly inadequate and in poor condition with poor hygiene. More widely, the configuration of the sports facilities were not well suited to today’s usage; no direct field access to changing areas and no disabled access at all.

To resolve these not insignificant issues, a detailed bid was developed to include a range of works including:

  • Roof replacement to the main sportshall
  • Substrate and specialist sportshall floor replacement
  • Replacement of existing sportshall lighting to new, Sport England compliant LED lighting
  • New build construction of two changing rooms with full shower/WC facilities
  • Re-modelling of existing changing rooms to provide dedicated PE classrooms
  • General refurbishment of the communal area within the PE department.

Funding was successfully achieved, and subsequent to the original procurement process; a revised works programme was developed to separate the new-build/re-modelling work away from the refurbishment of the sportshall and ensure minimal disruption to the school whilst works were undertaken. This revision to the programme and project as a whole proved successful, enabling the sportshall work to be completed during the summer period, minimising it’s downtime, whilst the new-build/re-modelling scheme could be phased to ensure continuity of facilities during term-time.