Project Plan

The RHS-NB Project has 3 distinct phases of development from initial concept through to final completion – subject to the availability of funding.

PHASE 1 – Feasibility, Outline Design and Initial Cost Plan – expected completion Autumn 2010 (fully funded)

This phase of the project is about asking all the pertinent questions to understand what the project entails and what it needs to achieve: What? Why? When? How? Where? Who? There are very few answers at this stage – only ideas, suggestions and points of view to listen to and take into account.

‘Consultation’ is a much over-used word these days but this stage of the project will start an on-going process of meeting with, sharing information with, and listening to a wide range of people from a variety of backgrounds that have an interest in the project. Look out for details of meetings and events in the local press and on these web pages.

The first phase will end in the autumn 2010 with a concept design and broad-brush initial cost plan estimates based on the proposed size of building. Any drawings produced at this point may not be a true life representation of the proposed school building. They would just give an indication of what sort of building is being considered.

PHASE 2 – Detailed Design and Target Cost Plan – expected commencement Autumn 2010 (funding application already submitted – outcome pending)

Having collected a wide range of views about what a new school should be like, this phase of the work starts to develop the design in greater detail. This is the time when numerous decisions are made about the facilities, layout and appearance of the school. The design detail development will generate a technical specification fore every element of the school, which can then be priced up to give a target cost for the construction phase.

There will be ongoing dialogue and information sharing with a broad range of interested parties as the design development progresses throughout this phase Part of this process will be prioritising what the money should be spent on in the school and inevitably compromises and trade-offs will need to be made. Not everyone will have everything they want to see in the new building – that’s impossible to achieve given the large number of interested parties. It will be the needs of learners and the quality of education provision that will determine what takes precedent. If all goes well, this phase should conclude in autumn 2011.

PHASE 3 – Construction and Completion of Site Works expected completion 2013/14 (funding application to be prepared and submitted)

This is the most exciting stage of the project when planning turns into reality and the new building starts to emerge and take its place on site.

Despite the greatest care and attention to detail during the design process, there will always be unforeseen circumstances and ‘unknowns’ that only become apparent once work on site is underway. That is what makes all construction projects so risky. So it is fairly certain that there will be changes to the plans as the building phase progresses and, hopefully, these will be kept to a minimum.

It will only be possible to confirm the timetable for construction once the full design details and technical specification from Phase 2 are known, but construction is currently expected to last through to 2013, and possibly into the following year before all external landscaping works are complete.

It is expected that the site works will include:

• Preparing the site for the new construction
• Building the new school, and means of access
• Maintaining public access to Rhyl Leisure Centre and the existing school buildings
• Completion of the new building (and transfer of pupils)
• Demolition of the old buildings, and Completion of landscaping works and outside areas