westminster schools

Client: Westminster City Council

Date: 2005 - 2010

Project Value: £280,000

Timescale: 4 months initially followed by 2 months per year

Services Provided:

• Project Management
• Conditions Survey/Asset Management
• Quantity Surveying

Project Overview:
In 2004, the Lyons Review on Asset Management in the public sector recommended that the Government adopt a more strategic approach to the management of public sector assets. In response the DfES developed an asset management strategy outlining how it planned to use the available resource.

In response to this government directive, Westminster City Council instructed Schofield Lothian to carry out condition surveys for all 54 schools in the Westminster area that came under their control.

Delivery:
Schofield Lothian provided Westminster City Council with an experienced team of seven professionals to undertake the mechanical & electrical and building condition surveys of all 54 schools.

The project called upon Schofield Lothian to prepare and monitor an extensive programme of works including grading the assets in line with DfES guidelines, provide budgets for recommended maintenance/improvements and provide contemporary records of condition. This information was collated and submitted to Westminster City Council for all 54 schools.

All work had to be carried out across the school year, in schools that were operational and populated with pupils and staff. This represented a real challenge necessitating arranging the condition surveys in co-operation with school management and caretakers to ensure minimum disruption to lessons and the occupants. Often these were undertaken outside of normal school hours.

Westminster City Council presented the resultant condition surveys as the basis to inform the budget setting for the capital delivery programme for future school improvements.

Benefit to the Client:
The client required a multi-disciplined organisation to proactively undertake the work in a sensitive environment. The professional manner in which this was undertaken provided accurate and detailed information with which to manage their schools' budget.

If you would like to find out more about this project, then please contact us.