Stoke on Trent College of Further Education Estate Strategy

1
January 2007
Stoke on Trent College of Further Education
Estate Strategy
2
Contents

• Executive Summary
• 1. Introduction Page 7
• 2. Educational Aspirations Page 9
• 3. The Current Estate Page 17
• 4. Future Estate Objectives Page 25
• 5. Available Options Page 27
• 6. University Quarter Position Page 43
• 7. Risks Page 58
• 8. Conclusions and Recommendations Page 59
• Appendix A College Financial History
• Appendix B Option Appraisals
• Appendix C University Quarter Funding Breakdown

3
Executive Summary

• This document presents the property case for
  Stoke on Trent College in assessing their current
  estate. GVA Grimley has been appointed to carry
  out an Estates Strategy for the College along
  with a joint Estates Strategy for Stoke on Trent
  College, the City of Stoke on Trent Sixth Form
  College and Staffordshire University in Stoke, as
  the Stoke on Trent University Quarter. This
  report represents the Colleges Estates
  Strategy, along with the summary of the Joint
  Estates Strategy findings to identify a preferred
  way forward for the College.
• Educational Case
• Stoke on Trent College is a general further
  education institution in Stoke, North
  Staffordshire. The College delivers provision for
  2,380 16-18 FTEs and 4,800 adult 19 FTEs.
  Changes in demographics follow the national
  trend, with a reduction in 16-18 students
  occurring over the next few years. To compensate
  for this demographic reduction the college is
  addressing the high level of NEETs in Stoke on
  Trent. Although the College will suffer from a
  drop in adult funding over coming years, this
  will be counteracted by increases in Train to
  Gain and other employer-based training.
• The Unitary Authority of Stoke on Trent is in the
  the eighteenth most-deprived Local Authority Area
  in England. Less than 10 of the Citys
  population possess a Degree or Diploma, compared
  to almost 20 nationally. Average wage levels are
  significantly below those for the rest of
  Staffordshire and the West Midlands. Stoke is the
  seventh most deprived district in England in
  terms of Education. This needs to be addressed
  through the future direction of Stoke on Trent
  College.
• The College aims to raise student success rates
  further and raise participation in both Further
  and Higher Education. Through working with the
  LEA, LSC and other local providers. As a
  vocationally-focused College, focusing on
  employer requirement in terms of skills and
  qualifications is essential to the College. The
  College is also working with Stoke on Trent Sixth
  Form College and Staffordshire University in
  Stoke, along with the City Council, the LSC and
  other local partners to bring about education-led
  regeneration in the area known as the University
  Quarter, around Stoke on Trent Station.

4
Executive Summary

• The Current Estate
• Stoke on Trent College is located on two main
  campuses. The Cauldon Campus is located between
  Stoke and Hanley Town Centres and the Burslem
  Campus is located to the North of Hanley Town
  Centre. Additional Construction training is
  provided from leased accommodation at Lingard
  Street, close to the Burslem Campus. The College
  also owns additional sites with the Snow Hill
  Building, close to the Cauldon Campus and the
  Lindsay Annex, a community building owned but not
  occupied by the College, close to Hanley Town
  Centre. The College provides additional
  provision in a series of outreach centres located
  around the North Staffordshire region, including
  leased accommodation at 40 Trinity Street,
  Longton NC and Tunstall NC and neighbourhood
  centres.
• The College underwent piecemeal development
  across their campuses in the 1950s and 1960s.
  This has resulted in the retention of aged
  inflexible spaces, unsuitable to current teaching
  methods and group sizes, combined with some more
  modern buildings. Recent investment has focused
  on the Burslem Campus, with the recent completion
  of a new construction block. The remaining estate
  is unsuitable for College requirements, with
  condition problems associated with aged
  accommodation.
• With the College serving separate communities,
  with split site provision, there is duplication
  of administration space. Significant investment
  will be required if the College is to retain
  their existing buildings, with maintenance costs
  escalating indefinitely.
• The current quality of College buildings,
  particularly across the Cauldon Campus does not
  deliver an image of a quality modern further
  education institution. With significant plans in
  place for the regeneration of Stoke, particularly
  with relation to the development of College Road
  and the Cauldon Canal, the College needs to
  invest in their estate to improve the overall
  quality of their learning environment. The
  current location of the Cauldon Campus, situated
  between Stoke Road and College Road, and the
  Cauldon Canal and Hanley Park, offers exciting
  opportunities to be involved in the regeneration
  of the City.

5
Executive Summary

• Strategic Estate Objectives
• The College needs to meet a number of College Key
  Strategic Objectives through improvements to
  their estate. These are outlined below.
• 1. Provision of flexible modern accommodation
  meeting College requirements
• 2. Enhancement of the College image to match
  that of local schools and other providers
• 3. Rationalisation of existing space
• 4. New student services and administration space
• 5. New Sixth Form Centre at Burslem
• 6. Opportunities for collaboration
• 7. Enhance employer links
• 8. Minimise potential disruption
• Without further investment Stoke on Trent College
  will solve none of these objectives.
• Options
• A range of options has been considered for the
  College, both in quantitative and qualitative
  terms, in line with the Colleges Strategic
  Estate Objectives. This has concluded that the
  most viable option for the College is to remodel
  the Cauldon Campus and rationalise the Burslem
  Campus. Subsequently the Joint Estates Strategy
  for the University Quarter identified that the
  preferred option for the Group was to focus
  around Station Road, with the College
  redeveloping their existing Cauldon Campus. This
  option allows the College to remodel their
  estate, focusing on College Road and also the
  adjacent park.

6
Executive Summary

• Risks
• New build on the Colleges campuses presents a
  series of risks. Phased onsite development needs
  to be managed efficiently to ensure that
  disruption is minimised and timescales are not
  extended.
• There is need for early discussions with the
  Local Planning Authority to ensure that
  development is permissible and an outline
  application can be submitted for disposal of part
  of the Burslem Campus. The College has recently
  received Planning Permission for the first phase
  of development for the creation of the Centre of
  Vocational Excellence in Care and Service
  Industries. Gaining positive funding support will
  also be essential for this project. The estimated
  project costs total 67 million and funding
  opportunities from the LSC need to be acted upon
  as early as possible.
• There is also risk associated with the
  development of collaborative facilities,
  particularly in relation to the Creative Village
  and Business and Professional Services Centres.
  The College has a limited timescale in which to
  submit a funding bid to the LSC. Any project will
  therefore need to be developed quickly to ensure
  that all facilities are completed in the same
  timeframe as the new College estate. If this
  cannot be adhered to, there is uncertainty
  surrounding whether the opportunities for joint
  facilities can be fulfilled.
• Conclusions and Recommendations
• The preferred option for the College and
  University Quarter as a whole is for the College
  to redevelop their Cauldon Campus and rationalise
  their Burslem Campus. This will achieve the
  Colleges Strategic Estate Objectives and help to
  bring about the education-led regeneration of the
  University Quarter.
• Having decided on a preferred option, the
  College needs to move forward quickly to look at
  the feasibility of this preferred option in more
  detail. Onsite development risks need to be
  assessed along with collaborative project
  opportunities. The project can then be taken
  forward to achieve capital funding Approval In
  Principle from the LSC, to bring about a new
  estate that can deliver the Colleges objectives
  both now and into the future.

7
1. Introduction

• Stoke on Trent College is one of Englands
  largest Further Education College, providing both
  full time and part time further and higher
  education courses across a wide range of
  curriculum areas. The College operates across two
  main campuses the Cauldon Campus located between
  Stoke and Hanley Town Centres and the Burslem
  Campus, three miles north of the Cauldon Campus.
  The College also owns the freehold of two
  additional buildings, the Snow Hill building and
  the Lindsay Annex. Additionally the College
  delivers significant outreach provision in
  community venues across north Staffordshire.
• The Colleges previous Property Strategy was
  approved by the College Corporation and the
  Learning and Skills Council (LSC) in November
  2002. The first phase of the Property Strategy
  was completed with a new building at the Burslem
  Campus to house the Colleges Centre of
  Vocational Excellence (CoVE) in Construction. The
  second phase is currently being implemented, with
  the College having recently submitted a funding
  bid to the LSC for a new building to house the
  Centre of Vocational Excellence in Care and
  Service Industries at the Cauldon Campus. The
  College now requires a new Estates Strategy to
  take their current estate through to 2010 and
  beyond, particularly focusing on enhancing the
  poor quality of accommodation at the Cauldon
  Campus, in line with the development of Stoke on
  Trent University Quarter.
• The Estates Strategy will assist in developing an
  estate that is fit for purpose and which can
  respond to current and future curriculum demands.
  This is an important management tool for the
  College to ensure that the estate is being used
  as efficiently as possible and that accommodation
  continues to meet educational objectives.
• A series of options are considered in line with
  the Colleges Strategic Estate Objectives to
  identify a preferred option and way forward for
  the College estate.

8
1. Introduction

• Stoke on Trent University Quarter
• The College, together with the City of Stoke on
  Trent Sixth Form College and Staffordshire
  University in Stoke established the University
  Quarter to bring about education-led regeneration
  in Stoke on Trent and encourage progression from
  schools into further and higher education and
  beyond. The University Quarter group consists of
  the three educational institutions, along with
  the City Council, LSC, Advantage West Midlands,
  The Regeneration Zone and RENEW North
  Staffordshire. The University Quarter will work
  in partnership to bring about the regeneration of
  the area, through improving progression,
  attracting investment into the area and becoming
  a distinct exciting area of the City focused
  around Stoke on Trent railway station.

The adjacent diagram outlines GVA Grimleys
approach to the production of a Joint Estates
Strategy for the University Quarter. To find the
right solution for the Quarter, there first needs
to be separate Estate Strategies carried out for
each institution. The preferred option must meet
the Strategic objectives of each of the
institutions, outlined through the production of
separate Estate Strategies, to assess their
requirements and available options in details.
These will then be fed into a Joint Strategy for
the University Quarter.
FE College
University Quarter
Sixth Form College
University
Space needs Efficiencies Options Student
Impacts Costs Funding Favoured Options
Further Space Efficiencies Combined
Options Student Impacts Costs Funding
9
2. Educational Aspirations

• This section of the document looks at the
  Colleges educational aspirations. These will
  drive decisions about their future property
  needs.
• Development of Mission and Strategy
• Stoke on Trent Colleges Mission for 2005-2008 is
  to deliver Excellence in education and skills
  for work and life. The College delivers
  provision to almost 6,500 FTEs, the majority of
  which study on further education courses. The
  College aims to continue to deliver a wide range
  of courses whilst delivering courses in
  conjunction with local employers requirements,
  thus targeting the skills need and encouraging
  learners into work after education completion.
• The College aims to achieve the following
  strategic objectives, responding to LSC national
  and local priorities
• Raise and sustain student success rates to the
  top quartile for General FE Colleges
• Empower individuals with the breadth of skills
  they will need for a successful life
• Through the Collegiate and partners in North
  Staffordshire raise participation in education
  and training at 16 and 17 towards the national
  average
• Increase the proportion of local learners
  progressing to and achieving HE qualifications
• Engage the community in the Learning and Skills
  agenda
• Increase progression and achievement into Higher
  Education and
• Enhance the Colleges financial performance to
  support the continuous improvement in quality
  through investment in staff and an inspirational
  learning environment.

10
2. Educational Aspirations

• Learner Needs in Stoke on Trent and North
  Staffordshire
• The Unitary Authority of Stoke on Trent is made
  up of the six towns of Hanley, Burslem, Longton,
  Stoke, Tunstall and Fenton. Originally, Stoke on
  Trents economic structure focused on the
  traditional industries of manufacturing,
  engineering and ceramics. Over many years there
  has been a significant decline in these
  industries resulting in high economic inactivity,
  with around 18,000 jobs lost in manufacturing in
  North Staffordshire between 1998 and 2003.
• The economic history of Stoke on Trent has left a
  socio-economic structure that consists of a high
  proportion of the population in routine or
  semi-routine occupations, totalling almost 31,
  above the national average of 21. The numbers of
  people in professional and managerial occupations
  remains significantly below the national average
  at 16, compared to 27 nationally. Out of 376
  local authorities, Stoke ranks 374th in terms of
  professional and managerial occupations. The
  economic structure has resulted in low levels of
  household income and Stoke on Trent remaining
  amongst the top 5 of the most deprived
  districts in England.
• Stoke on Trent is the eighteenth most deprived
  Local Authority Area in England and the third
  most deprived Local Authority in the West
  Midlands with high indicators of poor housing and
  health. Whilst the rate of unemployment is
  comparable with the National Average (2.3
  compared with the National Average of 2.1), the
  rate of incapacity benefit is 13 compared to the
  National Average of 7.3. Only 9.9 of the Citys
  population possess a Degree or Diploma compared
  with the National Average of 19.9, placing Stoke
  as 367th of 376 Local Authority areas. The
  English indices of deprivation 2004 rank the City
  as the seventh most deprived district in England
  in terms of Education and the twelfth most
  deprived in terms of Health. Average household
  income remains more than 25 below the National
  Average and the rate of Income Support is 50
  above the National Average.
• The College has striven to raise participation
  rates in the late 1990s and early 21st Century.
  Enrolment rates have increased from 25,000 to
  40,000 in this period. Current LSC policy
  regarding short courses and non-priority
  provision has seen some reduction in student
  numbers over the last 2 years. However the
  College endeavours to increase participation
  further, working with other providers and the
  LSC, to address the economic and social profile
  of Stoke on Trent.

11
2. Educational Aspirations

• Stoke on Trent University Quarter
• The University Quarter is a partnership between
  Staffordshire University, Stoke-on-Trent College,
  the City of Stoke-on-Trent Sixth Form College,
  the City of Stoke-on-Trent Council and the
  Learning and Skills Council. The University
  Quarter is an exciting radical innovative
  opportunity to bring about education-led
  regeneration across the Stoke-on-Trent area,
  enhancing progression into both further and
  higher education. The University Quarter will
  build on the physical proximity between the
  institutions, to create a new gateway into Stoke.
  The partnership is working with other
  stakeholders, including Advantage West Midlands,
  North Staffordshire Regeneration Zone and RENEW
  North Staffordshire. Representatives from each of
  these bodies and the Institutions themselves make
  up the University Quarter Steering Group.
• The University Quarter aims to enhance
  progression routes, encouraging students not only
  to enter post-16 education, but also to continue
  into higher education and beyond. There is a need
  to engage all age groups throughout the
  community. The creation of new high quality
  teaching facilities, developed between the
  institutions, will encourage students to enter
  into and stay on in education. There is a need
  for both a physical and cultural change in the
  overall image of the educational offer in
  Stoke-on-Trent.
• Due to the location of the University Quarter,
  lying close to Stoke Town Centre and Stoke
  railway station, the partnership is ideally
  placed to enhance the regeneration of the area.
  There are many regeneration opportunities
  including the Roebuck Street site, the Stoke
  Links Site, the Stoke Station Car Park and Royal
  Mail site and the former quarry site at Fenton.
  The Shelton area is also potentially an area of
  future housing market renewal.
• The new developments have the potential to
  attract inward investment into the area, making
  the area an attractive place to learn, work and
  live.

12
2. Educational Aspirations

• The National and Local Agenda
• The DfES White Paper Further Education Raising
  Skills, Improving Life Chances was produced in
  March 2006. This document highlighted the
  importance of improving success rates and focus
  on employability. A clearer mission for Further
  Education is being established, centred on
  developing skills and the attributes required for
  employment, to meet the demands of the economy.
  The LSC targets the reduction by at least 40 of
  the number of adults in the workforce lacking an
  NVQ level 2 or equivalent qualification by 2010.
• Focusing on employability will result in every
  institution developing areas of specialist
  excellence. This is already the case at Stoke on
  Trent College, with CoVEs concentrating on Care,
  Construction in partnership with Burton College
  and Business and Professional Services, with
  Tamworth and Lichfield College. The College is
  also currently the largest Train to Gain
  Contractor in the West Midlands. The College
  plans to continue to work with local employers to
  develop provision that responds to employers
  needs. In the future new National Skills
  Academies will be developed, which will act as
  centres of excellence in skills and training and
  be led by employers, supported by Skills Sector
  Councils. This potential increase in competition
  is encouraging colleges to focus on their areas
  of specialisation and work with local employers
  to ensure that students have all skills required.
  Skills for Life is an important area of College
  provision, and one that will continue to expand
  into the future in line with national and local
  targets.
• The College is targeting those Not in Education
  Employment or Training (NEETs) through devising
  appropriate programmes to attract and retain
  those who are at risk of not engaging in post-16
  education and training.
• Focusing on improving participation, progression,
  retention and skills levels will contribute
  significantly to the Government and LSCs agenda,
  particularly with regard to the economic
  regeneration of Stoke on Trent. Involvement in
  the University Quarter with Staffordshire
  University and the City of Stoke on Trent Sixth
  Form College, will also provide the opportunity
  for joint provision to encourage progression from
  further to higher education in Stoke on Trent.
  This compliments the existing Sixth Form College
  in the North of the City with a joint facility
  with Stoke on Trent College at Burslem.

13
2. Educational Aspirations

• Curriculum Change
• Stoke on Trent College provides a vocational
  curriculum, driven by local employment and
  retraining. There are four main areas of
  delivery
• 14-16 provision - this is a significant area for
  the College, with circa 1,000 students
• 16-18 provision - this focuses on local
  employment requirements and apprenticeships
• Adult Education - 80 of students, although this
  would suffer from funding cut backs but for Train
  to Gain and Planned Learning Accounts
• Higher Education - part time recruitment is
  increasing
• The College specialises in distinct delivery
  areas across its two campuses.
• Cauldon Campus
• CoVE in Care (with planning permission for new
  build)- this is a strong area of College
  provision, with strong links to the local Health
  Service.
• Hair and Beauty Hospitality and Catering - the
  size of this provision has contracted, but the
  level of provision will now remain constant.
• IT - a strong area of provision, particularly for
  external training.
• Science - modest delivery across the College
• Business and Professional Services - this is an
  expanding area and its Leadership and Management
  area is likely to be the subject of a future new
  build development in conjunction with the
  University Quarter, with the support of Advantage
  West Midlands.
• Teacher Education and Access Courses - this was
  rated very highly at a recent inspection by
  OFSTED.
• Skills for Life and ESOL - this is a large area
  of provision and will continue to be focused on
  in the future.
• Sports and Leisure - popular areas of provision
  for the College
• Public services provision - uniformed services
  and army preparation, which is a major area of
  growth.

14
2. Educational Aspirations

• Burslem Campus
• CoVE in Construction - this is now housed in the
  Colleges Phase 1 new build development.
  Provision continues to expand with 14-16
  delivery.
• Engineering - this area is continuing to decline
  with falls in local employment.
• Motor Vehicle - this is an area of growth for the
  College
• Media - this is a popular area of provision
• Performing Arts - this continues to be a popular
  area of College delivery
• Sixth Form Centre -this area is jointly managed
  with the City of Stoke on Trent Sixth Form
  College. Discussions are taking place with Sir
  Thomas Ward Catholic Secondary School which also
  has Sixth Form provision about a combined
  facility.
• Financial Position
• Over the past 10 years, the College has
  demonstrated effective financial management, but
  is now back in Financial Health Category C as a
  consequence of the events set out below. Having
  very successfully addressed the widening
  participation agenda, the College is now
  suffering from cutbacks in adult funding and
  other funding changes. Increasing fee charges to
  adults in the Stoke conurbation, a deprived low
  wage area, has significantly reduced student
  numbers, but the College is successfully leading
  the employer engagement strategy in
  Staffordshire, partially off-setting the adverse
  financial effects of other recent LSC policy
  changes.
• Despite the steps taken to improve financial
  performance, the College is not well placed to
  take on significant additional borrowing to fund
  this Estate Strategy. A detailed financial
  history of the College is included in Appendix A.

15
2. Educational Aspirations

• From the assessment of the current curriculum
  requirements, the College has identified the
  following educational aspirations
• Improve visibility and environment of College
  Cauldon Campus- the current configuration of the
  buildings on the Cauldon Campus results in
  limited visibility. The College therefore needs
  to make the most of the College Road frontage,
  along with development facing the adjacent park,
  to enhance the overall environment offered to
  students and staff. The location of the site,
  situated between College Road and Stoke Road, and
  the Cauldon Canal and Hanley Park provides
  significant opportunities to create an enhanced
  environment for students and staff, in line with
  local regeneration projects.
• Provision of a modern learning environment - the
  quality of learning spaces across the College
  estate is hampered by the dated nature of
  existing buildings. This reduces the ability of
  the College to compete with other local
  providers.
• New Sixth Form Centre - if the Sixth Form Centre
  is to remain on the Burslem Campus there is a
  need to increase the visibility of this area of
  College provision. The Centre is currently hidden
  within the main College block, and the new Centre
  will need to have a distinct identity.
• Focus on Collaborative Opportunities - the
  College is a leading partner in Stoke on Trent
  University Quarter. Developments across the whole
  University Quarter are therefore important in the
  development of the Colleges Cauldon Campus.
  There is potential for collaborative facilities
  to be created, and provision may be able to be
  moved from the Colleges Burslem Campus to the
  University Quarter area, if synergies are
  apparent. The College is also a leading provider
  of 14-16 education in Stoke on Trent and
  continues to work with local schools, with
  Construction at Burslem, being a expanding area
  of provision. The College continue to work in
  partnership with the City Council and other local
  bodies to bring about the economic and social
  regeneration of Stoke on Trent, and this is a
  significant factor of any College developments
  into the future.

16
2. Educational Aspirations

• Flexible Modern Accommodation
• The age and design of College accommodation makes
  it inflexible and unsuitable for current and
  future requirements. This is the case across the
  College estate, with the exception of the new
  Construction CoVE building and the proposed CoVE
  in Care and Service Industries. The College
  estate needs to be flexible in order to
  accommodate changes to requirements. This is
  particularly the case in the following areas.
• Work-related environments - the College delivery
  is increasingly demand-led, through working with
  local employers to meet their requirements.
  However the quality of accommodation on offer is
  often not the same standard as that provided in
  the work-place. There is a need for modern
  industry-standard accommodation that reflects
  the quality of facilities provided within the
  workplace.
• Social spaces - both the Cauldon and Burslem
  Campuses suffer from a lack of social spaces.
  Both have small sports halls but these are
  insufficient for College requirements. Ideally
  students require access to a greater variety of
  sports facilities. Refectories are too small for
  College needs.
• Learning Resource Centres - The College has
  developed a series of Learning Resource Centres
  throughout their buildings. These are limited in
  size and space and modern technologies may be
  more efficiently utilised in centralised
  facilities.
• Additional space for 14-16 students - the College
  continues to deliver a wide range of curriculum
  areas to school students. There has recently been
  additional space leased at Lingard Street in
  Burslem, to provide Construction provision for
  school students. There is scope to move this
  provision into J Block, which currently houses
  Performing Arts and Media, but was originally
  designed to become a Construction facility, if
  Performing Arts and Media can be relocated to
  Cauldon or the University Quarter.

17
3. The Current Estate

• Stoke on Trent College currently operates from
  two main sites
• Cauldon Campus at Shelton lying between Hanley
  Town Centre and Stoke Railway Station and
• Burslem Campus to the north of Hanley Town
  Centre.
• The table below identifies the total College
  estate.
• The Colleges freehold accommodation currently
  totals 41,040 square metres. This includes the
  Lindsay and Snow Hill Annexes. The Lindsay Annex
  is not currently used by the College. The College
  intends to sell Snow Hill and the Lindsay Annex,
  vacate 40 Trinity Street and Lingard Street and
  retain the Longton and Tunstall neighbourhood
  centres.

18
3. The Current Estate

• The Cauldon Campus
• The Cauldon Campus lies between Hanley Town
  Centre and Stoke on Trent Railway Station. The
  Campus is a long rectangular site, lying between
  two main roads, with the canal to the north and
  park to the south. The position of the site
  between these boundaries provides little space
  for expansion.
• The majority of accommodation dates from the
  1960s, with the most recent investment being the
  new library in 1993, as outlined in the table
  below.
• Development on the Campus has generally occurred
  in a piecemeal fashion. The site originally
  housed three separate Colleges, which today form
  Stoke on Trent College. Due to restricted space
  onsite there are many buildings, with limited
  open space.

19
3. The Current Estate

• The Cauldon Campus
• Previous recent investment implemented as part of
  the previous Estates Strategy, has been focused
  on the Burslem Campus with the creation of a new
  Construction Centre of Excellence. The second
  phase of development, outlined in the previous
  Estates Strategy was the creation of a Centre of
  Vocational Excellence in Care and Service
  Industries on the Cauldon Campus. This involves
  the demolition and replacement of the Urquhart
  Building, which remains the poorest building on
  the College estate. The accommodation is aged and
  there has been little recent investment in the
  fabric of the building. Problems associated with
  old copper piping and mains wiring therefore
  remain. Windows also single glazed and
  ventilation is poor throughout the building.
  There are areas of concern with the corrosion of
  the external cladding along with asbestos present
  in the ceiling. The College has looked into
  performing remedial works on the building to make
  the accommodation fit for purpose. The building
  would need to be vacated for a period of
  approximately 8-12 months and significant
  de-mountable accommodation would be required
  on-site. The cost of these works has been
  estimated at 3.8 million, including professional
  fees and a limited contingency. The College has
  recently obtained planning permission to replace
  the Urquhart Building with the new accommodation,
  fronting onto the adjacent park.
• However the majority of the remaining
  accommodation across the Cauldon Campus is unfit
  for purpose and suffers from condition problems
  associated with the age and design of the
  buildings. The large number of buildings on site,
  created through piecemeal development over a long
  time period, does not provide the vibrancy of a
  further education Campus, that could be delivered
  through emphasising the adjacent opportunities of
  the park, canal and main roads. Buildings vary in
  quality, with the Knapper and General buildings
  being notable examples of the poor quality
  accommodation on site. The Taylor Building and
  New Library Building remain the best buildings
  on site, being fit for purpose, but not without
  condition and suitability problems. If the
  College is to develop their Cauldon Campus
  further, building on their location-related
  opportunities and complementing the new Centre of
  Vocational Excellence in Care and Service
  Industries, there needs to be a complete
  redevelopment of the site. This is particularly
  important as any development will need to be
  phased over a number of years to keep the site
  operational whilst new build occurs. The Taylor
  Building and New Library Building would therefore
  have deteriorated further by the time new build
  is complete, highlighting the inefficiencies and
  poor quality of these buildings in comparison to
  the rest of the estate.

20
3. The Current Estate

• The Burslem Campus
• The Burslem Campus is situated approximately 3
  miles north of the Cauldon Campus. It comprises
  of 6.9 hectares, with residential to the front of
  the site and industrial to the rear of the site.
  The site is less densely developed that the
  Cauldon Campus, with separate buildings,
  developed between the 1960s and 2005. The most
  recent development is the Construction Centre of
  Vocational Excellence, which was completed as
  Phase 1 of the Colleges previous Accommodation
  Strategy.
• A detailed breakdown of space is identified in
  the table below. The quality of accommodation
  varies according to age.

Many of the buildings across the Burslem Campus
are industrial buildings which are used for
educational use. Both the learning resource
centre and the Performing Arts and Media
accommodation are located in buildings originally
designed as workshops. The C and D blocks also
both suffer from major structural issues, with
the corrosion of wall ties. These buildings will
require major investment. The A and B block form
one multi-storey building at the front of the
College site. This houses the Colleges general
purpose teaching classrooms and also the Sixth
Form Centre accommodation. The J block, or
Venue 4 is good quality industrial
accommodation, although there have been problems
with the curved structure of the roof. This was
originally built to house Construction, but now
accommodates Performing Art and Media Studies.
21
3. The Current Estate - Estate Constraints

• There are a series of estate constraints across
  the College Campuses that hamper the learning
  experience that the College is able to offer.
  These are outlined below
• College Image - The quality of the overall
  College estate does not encourage students to
  enter the College, particularly in an
  increasingly competitive environment. The
  Building Schools for the Future project will
  result in significant investment in the local
  schools in the area. Students need to progress
  into accommodation of a similar quality. With
  local FE competitors also investing in new build,
  it is essential that Stoke on Trent College
  invests in providing high profile accommodation
  that will encourage people to study at the
  College.
• Piecemeal development and remodelling - the
  Colleges previous development has occurred in a
  piecemeal fashion due to the nature of the
  Colleges present estate. The College now has
  some good quality buildings, for example the
  Construction Centre at the Burslem Campus, but
  this remains surrounded by buildings with a
  limited longevity. The LSC funding window is
  currently wide open, and the College needs to be
  big and bold in their development projects for
  the future. The development of the Care and
  Services Building on the Cauldon Campus is the
  first step in this development, but the remaining
  estate needs to be Masterplanned to ensure that a
  comprehensive project ensures.

22
3. The Current Estate - Estate Constraints

• Ageing Accommodation - the majority of the
  College accommodation dates from the 1960s and
  1970s and have limited longevity. There are
  significant structural, suitability and condition
  issues across the College accommodation due to
  the original design. Condition problems
  associated with flat roofs continue to manifest
  themselves. There are also problems associated
  with original single glazed windows, electrical
  re-wiring, plumbing and asbestos in the original
  buildings on site. Blocks C and D at Burslem and
  the Sports Hall at Cauldon all have significant
  structural issues. These buildings all need to be
  replaced in the near future. Running and
  maintenance costs, which are already high, will
  continue to accelerate as the buildings continue
  to deteriorate.
• Pressure on Spaces
• Due to the age of accommodation, the majority of
  older space across the College is inflexible.
  This includes the following areas
• Learning Resource Centre - the College has a
  series of LRCs located around the College
  accommodation. Although the main LRC at the
  Cauldon Campus is one of the newest buildings,
  dating from the 1990s, it is difficult to
  accommodate recent technological advances.
• Administration Space - the large numbers of
  buildings means there is some duplication of
  administration spaces across the sites.

23
3. The Current Estate - Estate Constraints

• Pressure on Spaces
• Specialist Facilities - many of the Colleges
  specialist vocational facilities are housed in
  inappropriate space. For example the performing
  arts space is housed in a building originally
  created for Construction training. There needs to
  be an assessment of the synergies between
  curriculum areas in the remodelling of
  accommodation. Performing Arts and Media Studies,
  both residing at Burslem, may better compliment
  the range of curriculum on offer at Cauldon and
  also link to developments within the University
  Quarter.
• Social Spaces - there are limited social spaces
  available across both campuses for either
  students or staff. At Cauldon there is a small
  sports hall and gymnasium, along with a small
  refectory, but these are inadequate for student
  requirements. Hanley town centre is also a long
  walk from the campus, so there are few other
  alternatives for the students. There is a similar
  problem at Burslem, although a large common room
  along with a sports hall is provided for
  students. However there are issues over the usage
  of common areas, by both College students and
  Sixth Form College students. The College needs
  modern fit for purpose recreational areas for
  both their students and staff. The sports halls
  on offer are dated and additional sporting
  facilities are also required. It may be possible
  to create additional social space in conjunction
  with the University Quarter developments.
• Teaching and Storage Space - across the College
  accommodation rooms are inflexible due to
  building age and design. Spaces therefore cannot
  be changed to meet the demands from changing
  teaching practices and group sizes.

24
3. The Current Estate - Estate Constraints

• Although there are many constraints across the
  overall College estate, there are also many
  benefits that the College appreciates from their
  current locations. These are outlined below
• Cauldon Campus
• University Quarter Linkage - This campus remains
  the linkage between Hanley City Centre and Stoke
  on Trent Railway Station and the University
  Quarter. It is located on the University Quarter
  boulevard which is central to the regeneration
  to the Stoke on Trent area.
• Opportunities for further development - The
  College has recently submitted a capital funding
  bid to the LSC for the development of a Centre of
  Vocational Excellence in Care and Service
  Industries on their existing site. If funding is
  approved the College will be committed to
  investing in further stages of development to
  remodel their existing site. This first stage
  will open the College Campus out into the
  adjacent park, transforming the overall
  environment on offer.
• Burslem Campus
• New Build Accommodation - the Colleges best
  accommodation is currently located at the Burslem
  Campus, with the Construction Building, completed
  in 2005, and Venue 4/ J Block completed in the
  1990s.
• Serving a Distinct Market - this site serves a
  distinct market to the north of Stoke on Trent.
  It is also the focus for the Colleges more
  dirty industries such as Construction and
  Engineering. This is complimented by industrial
  buildings on offer, providing work-related
  environments for study.

25
4. Future Estate Objectives

• Analysis of the Colleges current and future
  requirements, through discussions with their
  Senior Management Team and a review of their
  property has identified the following Future
  Estate Objectives, that must be fulfilled through
  the Estates Strategy for the College.
• 1. Provision of flexible modern accommodation
  meeting College requirements
• 2. Enhancement of the College image to match
  that of local schools and other providers
• 3. Rationalisation of existing space
• 4. New student services and administration space
• 5. New Sixth Form Centre at Burslem
• 6. Opportunities for collaboration
• 7. Enhance Employer Links
• 8. Minimise potential disruption
• These estate objectives have been used to
  formulate options, which have been appraised both
  quantitatively and qualitatively. The option
  appraisals are presented in the following
  section.

26
4. Future Estate Objectives

• Space Requirements
• The College currently operates with a space
  utilisation of 25.6 across the estate. This
  indicates that the College buildings are
  inefficient, due to their inherent flexibility,
  as this falls far below the LSC space utilisation
  target of 40.
• The Colleges space requirements have been
  assessed using the Learning and Skills Council
  methodology. This process is outlined below.
• Current onsite daytime Guided Learning Hours
  (GLH) 3,670,587
• Minimum Number of Workplaces (MNW) 2,549
• GLH divided by 1440 (the number of hours in a
  year of 36 weeks of 40 hours each)
• Space Target at 11.5 per MNW 30,461 Sq m
• 11.5 sq m per MNW is the minimum LSC
  requirement, an additional 1,500 sq m is allowed
  for balance space
• Space Target at 14.5 per MNW 38,461 Sq m
• 14.5 sq m per MNW is the maximum LSC
  requirement, an additional 1,500 sq m is allowed
  for balance space
• Current Space 44,513 Sq m
• The College therefore currently has too much
  space and with the vocational focus of the
  curriculum, should target an estate of circa
  36,000 Sq m.

27
5. Strategic Development Options

• This section of the report appraises a series of
  options for the future development of the College
  estate in financial and property-related terms.
  The preferred estate option should be based on
  the balance of quantitative (financial) and
  qualitative analysis.
• The options considered are
• Option 1 Do Minimum - refurbishment of all
  accommodation at the Cauldon, Burslem and Snow
  Hill Campuses, except the new Construction block.
• Option 2 Radical New Build - Complete new build
  at Cauldon and significant new build at Burslem.
• Option 3 New CoVE Building and Remodel - new
  build and refurbishment across both Campuses.
• Option 4 New CoVE Building and new build -
  complete new build at Cauldon and new
  build/refurbishment at Burslem.
• Option 5 - New site and Burslem - downsize
  Burslem with relocation of Cauldon to a new
  Campus.
• Option 6 - Relocation - relocate both the Cauldon
  and Burslem Campuses to a new build development.
• Option 7 - Co-Location - Sixth Form College
  Co-locates on the Cauldon Campus

28
Option 1 Do Minimum
This option assumes that the College invests in
the refurbishment on their existing estate. This
represents all accommodation at Burslem, Cauldon
and Snow Hill, with the exception of the new
Construction Centre at Burslem.

• Space Assumption 44,912 sq m
• 37,000 sq m refurbished
• Cost 47 million
• Acquisition Costs 0
• Receipts 100,000
• From disposal of Lindsay Annex
• Running Cost Savings 107,000 pa
• Students Loss of 2.5 pa for 5 years
• NPV -108.7 million

The significant amount of refurbishment is
assumed to result in major disruption to the
College, resulting in a loss in student numbers
for a five year period. Although the quality of
accommodation is improved, inherent building
problems continue to manifest themselves.
Therefore this is an expensive option with
minimal benefits for the College future.
29
Option 1 Do Minimum
The table below identifies how Option 1
Refurbish the existing estate, responds to the
Colleges Strategic Objectives for their estate.
This option assumes that the College invests in
refurbishment. Generally buildings improve, but
the College continues to be unable to meet their
Strategic Objectives through their estate. This
option provides a high level of investment for
limited reward. With no new build the College
gains no flexible accommodation and no
opportunities for new student services/
administration space, new Sixth Form Centre or
the enhancement of employer links. Significant
disruption occurs with the refurbishment of
practically the whole College estate.
30
Option 2 Radical New Build
This option assumes that the College completely
rebuilds the Cauldon Campus and commits to some
new build at Burslem to replace A, B, C and D
blocks and the sports hall.

• Space Assumption 36,921 sq m
• 22,000 sq m at Cauldon and 14,000 sq m at
  Burslem, Longton and Tunstall NCs
• Cost 75.5 million
• new build of 22,000 sq m at Cauldon and 8,300 sq
  m at Burslem
• Acquisition Costs 0
• Receipts 3.3 million
• 5 acre disposal at Burslem, Lindsay and Snow Hill
  Annexes
• Running Cost Savings 644,000 pa
• Additional 3.8 million of savings from removal
  of the Urquhart Building
• Students Loss of 2. pa for 1 year
• subsequent gain of 3 pa for 1 year
• NPV -41.5 million

New build occurs over a 5 year period. This
results in some disruption, although this is
minimised across both College sites. Significant
running cost savings occur with the replacement
of much of the College accommodation with new
build development. The overall accommodation is
significantly reduced, with a focus on the
Cauldon Campus, consisting of 22,000 sq m of
accommodation, compared to 14,000 sq m at
Burslem.
31
Option 2 Radical New Build
With radical new build investment across the
estate, the College is able to satisfy the
majority of College Strategic Estate Objectives.
New build allows flexible modern accommodation to
be created, along with student services/
administration and a new Sixth Form Centre.
Modern work-related environments can be created,
in line with employer requirements, improving
overall linkages. Space is rationalised across
the estate, with a focus towards the Cauldon
Campus, enhancing opportunities for collaborative
ventures relating to Stoke on Trent University
Quarter. It is assumed that performing arts and
media studies are moved to Cauldon to link in
with other developments. However the College also
retains the Burslem Campus and their distinct
catchment area. However this option is very
expensive and from the Net Present Value appears
to be unsound financially for the College.
32
Option 3 New CoVE Building and Remodel
This option assumes that the College redevelops
the Cauldon Campus, replacing the Urquhart,
Knapper and General Buildings with the New
Library and Taylor Buildings refurbished. The A,
B, C and D blocks at Burslem are replaced and the
sports hall refurbished.

• Space Assumption 36,921 sq m
• 20,000 sq m at Cauldon, 16,000 sq m at Burslem
  and Longton and Tunstall NCs
• Cost 60 million
• 20,800 sq m new build and 6,500 sq m refurbished
• Acquisition Costs 0
• Receipts 3.33 million
• From disposal of 5 acres at Burslem and the Snow
  Hill and Lindsay Annexes
• Running Cost Savings 667,000 pa
• Additional 3.8 million of savings from removal
  of the Urquhart Building
• Students Loss of 1 pa for 1 year
• Subsequent gain of 4 pa for a 2 year period
• NPV -4.18 million

With a significant amount of new build, there is
assumed to be some disruption for the College,
with subsequent increase in student numbers.
33
Option 3 New CoVE Building and Remodel
The College invests significantly across their
estate, but some older buildings still remain
that have a limited longevity. Piecemeal
development of the Cauldon Campus results in a
campus that continues to lack focus and in future
years there will be a mixture of poorer quality
accommodation, along with good quality
accommodation. Although there is significant
flexible accommodation created, which could
accommodate changes to student services, social
facilities and a Sixth Form Centre, this is not
the case throughout the College. Thus these
Estate Objectives are only partially solved
through the Colleges investments. With the
retention of the Cauldon Campus, the College
still has the opportunity to be integrated in the
University Quarter developments. The first stage
of this is the completion of the Colleges new
CoVE building in Care and Service Industries. As
this project is already in detailed development,
it is assumed that the whole project can be
commenced sooner than for the previous options.
34
Option 4 New CoVE Building and New Build
This option assumes that the College completely
rebuilds the Cauldon Campus, commencing with the
new CoVE building. The Burslem Campus is
downsized, with new build replacing the A, B, C
and D Blocks along with the Sports Hall and
refurbishment of F Block and Venue 4.

• Space Assumption 36,921 sq m
• 22,000 sq m at Cauldon, 14,000 sq m at Burslem
  and Longton and Tunstall NCs
• Cost 74.9 million
• 27,200 sq m new build and 5,300 sq m
  refurbishment
• Acquisition Costs 325,000
• Purchase of depo site from Council at Cauldon
• Receipts 3.33 million
• Disposal of 5 acres at Burslem, Snow Hill and
  Lindsay Annexes
• Running Cost Savings 760,000 pa
• Additional 3.8 million of savings from removal
  of the Urquhart Building
• Students Loss of 1 pa for 1 year
• Subsequent increase of 4 for 3 years, then
  constant
• NPV 1.51 million

This is an expensive option for the College, with
radical new build, commencing within the next
year with the new CoVE building at Cauldon.
However this results in significant running cost
savings and the College gains additional students
after project completion from the increased
numbers of 18 year olds staying on in education
and targeting the NEET population in the improved
quality of accommodation.
35
Option 4 New CoVE Building and New Build
This option meets the majority of College
Strategic Estate Objectives. With significant new
build across the estate the College can
rationalise their estate with the provision of
modern flexible accommodation. Work-related
environments are created, along with new student
services and social space and a Sixth Form Centre
at Burslem. With the downsizing of the Burslem
Campus there are opportunities to bring
Performing Arts and Media Studies down to the
University Quarter area. There is significant
potential for collaborative facilities both with
the City of Stoke on Trent Sixth Form College and
Staffordshire University at Stoke. There is
significant disruption with onsite new build, but
this is minimised as much as possible through the
phasing of development. The complete new build of
the Cauldon Campus allows the College to remodel
the whole site, providing a quality learning
environment and adding to the vibrancy of the
University Quarter.
36
Option 5 New Site and Burslem
This option assumes that the College relocates to
a new site within the University Quarter. New
build occurs at Burslem to replace the A, B, C,
and D Blocks and the sports hall. The F Block and
Venue 4 are refurbished. The Cauldon Campus is
subsequently sold as a residential development
opportunity.

• Space Assumption 34,921 sq m
• 20,000 sq m new site, 14,000 sq m at Burslem,
  Longton and Tunstall NCs
• Cost 70.8 million
• 25,200 sq m new build and 5,300 sq m
  refurbishment
• Acquisition Costs 1.1 million (notional)
• Receipts 9.0 million
• Disposal of Cauldon, Snow Hill, Lindsay Annex and
  5 acres at Burslem
• Running Cost Savings 860,000 pa
• Additional 3.8 million of savings from removal
  of the Urquhart Building
• Students Loss of 0.5 pa for 1 year
• Subsequent increase of 3 for 2 years on
  completion
• NPV -5.7 million

This is an expensive option for the College due
to the need for site acquisition. However this is
offset by the disposal receipts released. The
large amount of new build leads to significant
running cost savings and increases in students
after new build completion.
37
Option 5 New Site and Burslem
With new build accommodation at the new site,
along with some new build at the Burslem Campus,
the College is able to deliver a quality teaching
and learning environment and improve the overall
image of the College. This new accommodation
can cater for the demands of changing teaching
practices and also the requirements of local
employers, providing work-related environments.
Relocation of the Cauldon Campus to the heart
of the University Quarter, likely to be Roebuck
Street, allows the College to gain new
collaborative opportunities, by being located
closer to both Staffordshire University at Stoke
and the City of Stoke on Trent Sixth Form
College. With new build on a new site the
College minimises disruption, although some
disruption does occur at the Burslem Campus with
new build and refurbishment.
38
Option 6 Relocation
This option assumes that the College relocates
all provision to a new site, with the disposal of
all College current campuses.

• Space Assumption 34,921 sq m
• 34,000 new build on one site, retention of
  Longton and Tunstall NCs
• Cost 86.6 million
• Acquisition Costs 1.6 million (notional)
• Receipts 11.5 million
• From disposal of all other freehold owned
  property
• Running Cost Savings 1.0 million pa
• Additional 3.8 million of savings from removal
  of the Urquhart Building
• Students Gain of 4 pa for a year
• NPV -21.9 million

This option is the most expensive for the
College, however it also releases the highest
level of receipts. Significant running cost
savings occur, with the replacement of all older
accommodation with new build. With relocation to
a new site, the College is assumed to lose some
of their student catchment area, therefore
increases in student income are not as
significant as for previous options.
39
Option 6 Relocation
The replacement of all accommodation with one new
build development allows the College
accommodation to be completely efficient and
rationalised to 30,000 sq m. In this
accommodation the College will have a new image,
and be able to respond to the needs of learners,
staff and employers, and also contribute to the
regeneration of the Stoke on Trent area.
However the College may not replicate their
Sixth Form accommodation if they were to
relocate. It is likely that the College would
relocate to either further into the University
Quarter or to somewhere between their current new
locations. This would have a significant effect
on the Colleges catchment area and there may not
be a requirement to offer Sixth Form
accommodation. This option is dependent on
finding an available site, within a suitable
timescale and at a suitable cost. The amount of
risk associated with this option is therefore far
greater than for the other options presented to
the College.
40
Option 7 Co-Location
This option assumes that the City of Stoke on
Trent Sixth Form College co-locates with the
College on the Cauldon Campus. The Cauldon Campus
is completely remodelled and the Burslem Campus
has new build to replace the A, B, C and D
Blocks, along with the Sports Hall and F Block
and Venue 4 are refurbished.

• Space Assumption 35,921 sq m
• 21,000 sq m at Cauldon, 14,000 sq m at Burslem,
  Longton and Tunstall NCs
• Cost 72.4 million
• Acquisition Costs 0
• Receipts 4.0 million
• Disposal of 5 acres at Burslem, Snow Hill and the
  Lindsay Annex and part of Cauldon to the Sixth
  Form College
• Running Cost Savings 558,000 pa
• Additional 3.8 million of savings from removal
  of the Urquhart Building
• Students Loss of 1.5 pa for 1 year
• subsequent gain of 4 pa for 2 years
• NPV -19.6 million

Development is assumed to occur over a 5 year
period on the Cauldon Campus. This results in
some onsite disruption and loss of student
numbers. Subsequently the College gains
additional students on completion of the College
estate. Ho