BOROUGH OF POOLE
COMMUNITY SUPPORT OVERVIEW GROUP
On 20th July 2006
REDEVELOPMENT OF WATERFRONT MUSEUM UPDATE
REPORT OF THE HEAD OF CULTURE AND COMMUNITY LEARNING
1.
PURPOSE OF REPORT
This report is to update members on the project to redevelop Waterfront Museum.
2.
DECISIONS REQUIRED
2.1
That members note progress of the project.
3.
BACKGROUND
3.1
Vision for the project
“Museums enable people to explore collections for inspiration, learning and
enjoyment. They are institutions that collect, safeguard and make accessible
artefacts and specimens which they hold in trust for society.” (The Museums
Association.
The vision behind his project is to create a landmark museum that is used and
valued by everyone in the community. The new museum should create an
environment that engages people to actively learn about the history of Poole. It
should also create a museum that will become a highly valued public space.
3.2
The objectives of the project are:
 Increase access to the museums collections
 Complete the conservation of Poole’s 2000 year old Iron age logboat and put it
on public display for the first time
 Tell the story of Poole in a comprehensive and engaging way
 Develop the museum as a centre of excellence for learning
 Improve the built environment of the area and contribute to the economic
regeneration of the Quay and Lower High Street
3.3
The project involves the demolition of the existing 1960s building frontage and
replacing it with an elegant and striking glass entrance to the museum designed by
Richard Horden of Horden Cherry Lee Architects. The project will also redisplay the
interior galleries to improve access to the museum collections and better represent
the history of Poole.
On 24 January 2006 Cabinet gave formal approval for this project to commence and
approved a budget of £1,070,750 as follows:
£
Building works
822,750
Interior displays
200,000
Log boat
35,000
Advertising, etc.,
13,000
1,070,750
Source of funding:Heritage Lottery Fund
BoP Capital contribution
Fund raisers
BoP Revenue contribution
Disability Access budget
Property maintenance budget
Museum revenue contribution
750,000
100,000
80,000
25,750
20,000
35,000
60,000
1,070,750
This represents a Borough of Poole contribution of £240,750 for over £1m worth of
capital development for the people of Poole.
3.4
In granting approval for this project Cabinet agreed that the Lead Officer for the
project, the Head of Culture and Community Learning, had a robust project
management process in place including strong support from Property Services.
3.5
A management process was followed to provide as much cost certainty as possible
prior to project commencement. An independent review of the project was carried
out. A two stage tendering process was used to enable the architect and main
contractors to value engineer the design to give best value. Greendale Construction
Ltd, an independent Poole based contractor with recent project experience, have
been appointed as the Principal Contractor. A detailed design and specification was
developed and costed. Firm prices have been obtained for the major elements of
the building work. The majority of the costs were fully ascertained on the basis of
detailed design and appropriate procurement procedures. Professionally based
estimates for the remaining areas of uncertainty were included in the cost plan.
3.6
Contingencies were established for the project. The majority of these have been
allocated during the two stage process as each risk area has been dealt with and
resolved. The main remaining contingency is £10,000 which is for the uncertainty
regarding the condition of the brickwork on the front exterior after the demolition is
complete.
3.7
The project is a mixture of refurbishment of a heritage building together with
construction of a striking new building at the front. Expectations are high but are
being robustly matched to the budget. Consequently compromises and choices
have had to be made and priorities set for the use of resources. Members were
briefed in January 2006 that numerous decisions have already been made to
control and curtail costs of the project. Specifications have been very tight and at
this stage in the project there is no realistic option of reducing specifications or
outcomes any further.
3.8
There have been no changes to the brief that members approved in January. The
additional costs described below in this report are due entirely to consequences
arising from the unexpected discovery of additional asbestos.
3.9
The Heritage Lottery Fund appointed two professionals to monitor the project on
their behalf; one to oversee construction issues and the other focusing on display
and interpretation in the galleries. Regular meetings take place with the HLF
Monitors to report progress against the Heritage Lottery Fund’s agreed outcomes
3.10
Work was commenced on the project by Greendale Construction on 6 th February
2006. Work initially involved the contractor setting up their site and the construction
of hoardings around the building. Museum staff were moved out of the area to be
demolished and relocated into the fourth floor in the mill building in March.
3.11
On 4 April 2006 there was a Press Call to the museum involving Councillor Elaine
Atkinson to celebrate the commencement of work, the appointment of a local
company Greendale Construction as the main contractor, the launch of the fund
raising appeal where £10,000 was handed to the fund raisers by Poole Maritime
Trust and the work done with local young people on an arts project for the site
hoardings that reflects the history of Poole and that was funded through
Renaissance in the Regions.
4.
ADDITIONAL COSTS INCURRED
4.1
In accordance with the requirements of the Asbestos Regulations 2002, a type 3
intrusive asbestos survey was carried out by Aptiva on 29 March 2006. The results
of this survey identified asbestos materials which were removed under controlled
conditions prior to the demolition starting on site. These works were contained
within the planned project cost.
4.2
When demolition of the 60s building started on 10 May 2006 further significant
quantities of asbestos fibres were discovered within the floor construction
[composite] as a spray coating layer on the slab construction. Asbestos surveys are
carried out in accordance with a document produced by the Health and Safety
Executive called MDHS 100. This document describes what needs to be done to
comply with the requirements of a type 3 asbestos survey. We have every reason
to believe that the survey was carried out appropriately. It is noted that the national
guidance on these surveys includes the phrase ‘as far as reasonably practical’.
4.3
The additional asbestos was discovered deep within the fabric of the existing
building sandwiched between the floor and ceiling. Under these particular
circumstances, the Borough of Poole’s Property Services advise that it would not be
reasonable to expect this asbestos to be discovered by any type of asbestos survey
as it was so far embedded within the fabric of the building. Actions taken at the time
the asbestos was discovered kept any potential Health and Safety implications to a
minimum and complied with the requirements of the Asbestos Regulations 2002.

4.4
Quotes for the additional work were obtained and Aptiva were found to be best
value. Aptiva’s programme includes; 14 day notification period to the HSE; pre
clean existing scaffold etc; strike existing scaffold and re-erect new; Aptiva
on-site clean and removal; ticket of re-occupation issued.
4.5
On 30th May 2006 Cabinet approved the allocation of an additional £95,000 for the
removal of the asbestos. This work is currently underway.
5.
CURRENT POSTION
5.1
The Contractor has continued to work inside the mill building throughout this period
of disruption and has rescheduled work to minimise impact on the completion date.
The additional work has added 14 weeks to the contractors completion date, taking
the expected completion date to 30th March 2007. The Museum now plans to
reopen in April 2007.
5.2
The revised budget for the project means that the contribution by the Borough of
Poole is £335,750 towards a capital project costing £1.167m to benefit the people of
Poole.
5.3
As part of the regular reporting mechanism, the latest financial report for July by
Denley King, the projects quantity surveyors and cost control managers, confirms
the project proceeding in line with the planned budget.
5.4
A remaining financial risk to the project is the ability of the Heritage Forum to fulfil its
commitment to raise £80,000 from the local community. The fundraising group of
the Heritage Forum have been working hard. To date £18,000 has been raised and
the group remain confident that the target will be achieved. In the Cabinet of 24
January 2006 this risk was acknowledged and provision made in the Council’s
corporate capital contingency fund for any shortfall in community fundraising up to
£55,000.
6
MUSEUM REDISPLAY
6.1
The Museum staff are fully engaged in the work to redisplay the interior of the
Museum. The redisplay will be done using modern contemporary formats and up to
date techniques to highlight and enhance both the exhibits and the architectural
features the old mill building. An added complication has been the departure of two
museum staff including the in-house designer and a new person has been
successfully appointed to take up post in August
6.2
The museum staff have undertaken consultation with different sections of the
community to ensure that the displays and the museum interior meet users
expectations as far as possible. These consultations have included Poole Maritime
Trust, Poole Older Peoples’ Strategy Group, Sea View Centre, Poole schools,
individuals relating to disability access and other organisations and individuals.
6.3
The museum will be redisplayed on four floors. Areas that were previously used for
the storage of the museum collections will be made available thereby providing an
increase in the available display space and improved access around the building.
6.4
A clear objective for the museum displays is to tell the story of Poole and its people
in a coherent and interesting way. The four floors will be displayed to engage,
inform, educate and inspire the museum visitor. They will be designed in a way that
will enable changes to them to be made more frequently and easily than in the past
thereby making more material in the collections available to visitors and hopefully
giving local people more reason to make repeat visits.
6.5
The displays will be set out inside the building in the following way:Ground floor – the harbour and natural history of the area together with the
preserved iron age log boat that has never before been on public display.
First floor – The development of the Port and Town, including trade, ships, boats
and other maritime associated subjects.
Second Floor – The people of Poole, their lives, work and the community.
Third Floor – The pottery industry and its influence and significance to the
development of the town using the museums pottery collections, including the
recently acquired Poole Pottery.
6.6
The budget for the redisplay of the museum galleries is modest for a project of this
scale especially as it includes the cost of relocating the staff within the building.
Careful and creative management by the museum staff of their redisplay resources
is therefore required and there is a high reliance on in-house skills. The allocation of
the available funds has been prioritised and the majority of the funds will be directed
towards providing the gallery infrastructure which includes lighting, display cases
and graphics to ensure that the maximum impact is achieved. There will be some
use of video and sound technology but generally a creative low-tech approach to
the use of interactives and display materials will be adopted.
6.7
Current issues that museum staff are focussing on for the gallery redisplay include
the imminent issue of a tender for the graphic design work, the finalisation of text for
the displays and resolving how much of the previous lighting can be reused.
Kevin McErlane, Head of Culture and Community Learning
Telephone No:
01202 262400
Contact Officers
Jocelyn Glanfield, Museum Manager, Tel: (01202) 262609
Clive Fisher, Business and Performance Manager Tel: (01202) 262429
BACKGROUND PAPERS
Application to Heritage Lottery Fund, March 2004
Report and Cabinet Minutes 5 October 2005
Report to Community and Education Scrutiny Committee 18 October 2005
Report and Cabinet Minutes from 24 January 2006
Report and Cabinet Minutes from 30 May 2006