Royal Court/ House States Building: Approval of Drawings

ROYAL COURT HOUSE/STATES BUILDING: APPROVAL OF DRAWINGS

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Lodged au Greffe on 4th July 2000 by the Public Services Committee

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STATES OF JERSEY

STATES GREFFE

180             2 0 0 0   P . 1 1 9          

Price code: B

PROPOSITION

THE STATES are asked to decide whether they are of opinion -

  (a ) to approve drawings Nos. 2980/13, 21(A), 22(A), 24(A), 25(A), 101(C), 102(L), 103(B), 104(A), 105(B),

200, 201(D), 202(F), 300(A) showing Phase One and Phase Two of the proposed refurbishment of the Royal Court/States Building and approve drawings Nos. 2980/105(E), 600, 601, 602(A) illustrating the proposed alterations and extension to the existing caretaker's flat.

  (b ) to authorize the Greffier of the States to sign the said drawings on behalf of the States. PUBLIC SERVICES COMMITTEE

Note: T he Finance and Economics Committee supports this proposition.

REPORT

Introduction

Since its formation in December 1999, the present Public Services Committee has made strenuous efforts to ensure that the Royal Court and States Building refurbishment project represents best value to the public, and that the refurbished building will meet the requirements of all users of the building. The Committee has also sought to review the process that has been followed by previous Public Services Committees in bringing the project forward.

To this end meetings have been held with the Policy and Resources, Finance and Economics and House Committees, the Bailiff , Jurats and disabled groups. The President of the Committee has also had the opportunity to inspect the States members' facilities in the Isle of Man.

The Public Services Committee is concerned that a project of this magnitude and importance to the Island has not yet been the subject of a States' debate, and has therefore decided to present the current plans to the States, and to the public, in order that the decision to proceed with the refurbishment is taken by the States as a whole, in an accountable and transparent way.

Background

The need for urgently required office accommodation and the need to refurbish the Royal Court/States Building was identified in the late 1980s. The PA Consulting Group produced the final version of their report "States of Jersey Building Study" in 1990. This report clearly identified the accommodation requirements which had to be met in the redevelopment of the Martins Bank Chambers site in Halkett Place (new Morier House) and the refurbishment of the Royal Court/States Building.

It was always recognized that to carry out any major work on the Royal Court/States Building it would have to be vacated. The redevelopment of the Martins Bank Chambers building would have to be completed first to provide the "extra" space necessary. Morier House was completed in 1998 under a Private Funding Initiative.

Financial support was granted by the Finance and Economics Committee in 1997 in the form of a loan sanction linked with Magistrates Courts. However, during the Decision Conferencing process in 1998, financial support was withdrawn on the basis that the likely out-turn cost would be close to £10  million. In an effort to advance the project, a target budget of £5  million was set.

The scope of work proposed was scheduled in priority order and a line drawn under the value of work which it was estimated could be achieved within the reduced budget (base date December 1997). The work below the line, although still essential, was considered should be undertaken as a Phase Two. Funds for this Phase would have to compete with other Capital requests in future years.

Funding for the prioritized work in Phase One was supported by the Finance and Economics Committee and£5  million was allocated to the project in the States Budget debate of December 1998. With the allocation of funds, detailed design work could be progressed, including the conversion of the Lawn Block at D'Hautrée School for use as temporary courts.

In May 1998, Cost Report No. 1 was produced, which estimated the cost of the preferred scope of works to be in excess of £5.3  million. The target construction cost based on the budget allocation of£5.0  million was calculated as approximately £3.9  million. In view of the expenditure incurred in creating the temporary courts at D'Hautrée School, it was considered maximum benefit should be gained, and a request was made for additional funds to carry out work which would inevitably cause severe disruption to those who work in the Royal Court/States Building, if it were undertaken when the building was occupied. A risk management study had also been undertaken which calculated the likely financial risk. The Finance and Economics Committee, on 27th August 1999, gave conditional approval to the following budget -

1. Loan sanction - base date December 1997 £5.000 million
2. Additional cost of work - base date December 1999 £1.118 million
3. Design and user risk £0.702 million
4. States risk £0.967 million
5. Pre and post-contract inflation £0.976 million

Total: £8.763 million

Items 3, 4 and 5 are held by the Treasury, and will only be released if a case can be proved that the risk has transpired or the inflation has occurred. It has been assumed the inflation from December 1997 to December 1999 on the original loan sanction will be granted, i.e., £0.488  million. This figure has been included in the target construction cost of£5.261  million.

Summary of proposed scope of works

From inception, the objectives which were set included the refurbishment of the fabric of the building to ensure that one of the most important buildings in Jersey was brought to a standard which would ensure it survived well into the 21st Century; the services within the building would be renewed to provide satisfactory working conditions for those who use and work in the building; the provision of improved accommodation and facilities for those who work in the building; and finally to improve access to and circulation throughout the building for everyone.

The proposed scope of work was arranged in the following priority order - Phase One

1. M a jo r repairs and renovation of the external and internal fabric -

• ro o f repairs and replacement;

• re p lacement and repair of defective windows;

• re p airs to external walls and parapets;

• as b estos removal.

2. M e c hanical and electrical renovation and upgrade -

• el e ctrical wiring, fire alarms, security, IT cabling etc.;

• re p lacement of defective plumbing and drainage;

• re p lacement of heating installation to allow greater control of temperatures incorporating comfort cooling.

3. A lte  rations and improvements to existing accommodation -

• B a iliff, judges and Jurats;

• Ju d icial Greffier;

• C o urt-related functions;

• ca r etaker's flat;

• tw  o Committee Rooms;

• n ew  members' room at first floor (former Bailiff s Chamber);

• h o lding cells in basement;

• to il ets and shower in basement.

4. I m p r ovement to internal and external circulation -

• th r ee new lifts accessible by wheelchairs;

• n ew  public entrance from the Royal Square (former entrance to Old Library);

• n ew  external podium to allow access from the Royal Square for wheelchairs.

Phase Two

Alterations and improvement to existing accommodation -

• co n version of existing ground floor members' room to provide third Committee Room;

• c o nversion of the existing Land Registry to provide facilities for States members, including library, lounge and three interview rooms with a small kitchen;

• d ec oration of the existing members' room and associated circulation at first floor level;

• p ro vision of a media interview room and witness room at second floor level;

• p ro vision of the mechanical and electrical services associated with the work in Phase Two.

Budget

Allocated within its Capital Vote C2626 the Committee had the sum of £5  million. On 3rd September 1999, the Finance and Economics Committee agreed the allocation of funds, including professional fees, as follows -

1. Conversion of D'Hautrée School to temporary courts
2. Royal Court/States Building - refurbishment Phase One
3. Risk assessment
4. Pre and post-contract inflation (after December 1999)

£0.372  million £6.234  million

£1.669  million £0.488  million

Total: £8.763  million

The current target cost for the refurbishment of the Royal Court/States Building is £5.261  million excluding professional fees. This figure includes an allowance of £0.488  million (part of item 2 above) for inflation on the original£5.000  million loan sanction based on estimates dated December 1997. A request where appropriate will be made for part of the funds held by the Treasury in the sum of £2.157  million, i.e., items 3 and 4 above in relation to inflation and identified risks. If, upon the receipt of tenders, the cost of the proposed works is greater than the budget available, lower priority items will be deleted from the works to ensure that the budget available is not exceeded.

Programme

A summary of the key dates is as follows -

• conversion  of  Lawn  Block  at  D'Hautrée commenced May 1999 School completed August 1999

• development permission granted October 1999

• mechanical sub-contract tenders received April 1999

• electrical sub-contract tenders received May 2000

• main contract tenders to be issued August 2000

• Courts to move to D'Hautrée School

• asbestos removal

• main contract Phase One

• main contract Phase Two anticipated

27th June 2000

August 2000

September 2000 commence October 2000 complete October 2002 commence August 2004 complete August 2005