Best Practice in Adapting Schools to Climate Change. The Risks and the Key Players. A report for the West Midlands Climate Change Partnership

Transcription

1 Best Practice in Adapting Schools to Climate Change The Risks and the Key Players A report for the West Midlands Climate Change Partnership 1

2 CONTENTS Page 1. Executive Summary 3 2. Introduction 4 3. The Scenario for Climate Change Risks in School Building 5 4. Climate Change Risks in School Building 7 - Increased summer temperature 5. Additional Climate Change Risks in School Building 8 6. Climate Change Risks in School Building PFI initiatives 9 7. The creation of a Quality Teaching Environment Current Guidance on Climate Change in School Building Best Practice in adapting to Climate Change in School Building The key players in School Building in the West Midlands Next Steps 17 APPENDIX ONE CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION AT REDHILL SCHOOL WORCESTER 18 APPENDIX TWO CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION AT WHITECROSS SCHOOL HEREFORD 19 APPENDIX THREE DEFINING CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION AND ADAPTATION 20 2

3 1. Executive Summary 1.1 The purpose of this report is to facilitate and influence the inclusion of Climate Change Adaptation into the schools building programme in the West Midlands in the context of the overall aims of the West Midlands Centre for Constructing Excellence (WMCCE) to embed sustainability into the Built Environment in the region The report is the first Milestone in the project entitled Best Practice in Adapting Schools to Climate Change which WMCCE is delivering on behalf of the West Midlands Climate Change Partnership. 1.3 The report will be used to deliver the second Milestone which is to identify best practice and barriers via workshop/consultations with a targeted audience of key stakeholders and then to develop a final report and guidance. 1.4 The report assesses the risks associated with Climate Change in School Building projects utilising the findings of these two reports. Climate Change from Climate Change Risks for Building Schools for the Future Projects in the West Midlands (Acclimatise April 2008) commissioned by the Built Environment Working Group of the West Midlands Climate Impacts and Adaptation Partnership (WMCCIAP) which WMCCE chaired. This is referred to as the WMCCIAP 2008 report. The Case Study of Best Practice in Adapting to Climate Change for Built Environment in West Midlands (University of Wolverhampton March 2009) commissioned by WMCCE, Construction Skills and Sustainability West Midlands. This is referred to as the WMCCE 2009 report. 1.5 This report then identifies the key delivery partners and stakeholders to implement and influence the inclusion of Climate Change Adaptation Best Practice in the school building programme. Representatives from these will be invited to the workshop highlighted above. 3

4 2. Introduction 2.1 The WMCCIAP 2008 report and the WMCCE 2009 report are valuable for their analysis of the Climate Change Risks for Schools. The reports also include detailed assessments of two key school building projects which demonstrate best practice in Climate Change Adaptation at Whitecross School Hereford and Redhill School Worcester. These are described in Section 9. below and in the Appendices One and Two. 2.2 Both reports, especially the WMCCIAP 2008 report, were written with the expectation that there would be general acceptance of the need for construction and financial practices to adapt to Climate Change and, in particular, that Climate Change Adaptation will be given priority in the school building programmes. 2.3 This expectation has been clouded recently, in the minds of the general public, by serious questions on Climate Change exemplified by the treatment of data by the University of East Anglia and the perceived failure of Copenhagen Climate Change conference in 2009 to reach a consensus. 2.4 It is acknowledged that this represents a simplistic view which, inter alia, confuses Climate Change Adaptation with Climate Change and Mitigation. (The definitions of Climate Change Adaptation and Climate Change Mitigation are set out in Appendix Three). 2.5 Nevertheless, it is a factor to be taken into account in identifying the barriers to a universal commitment to the implementation of Climate Change Adaptation in the Schools Building Programme. 2.6 This is important because, although the WMCCIAP 2008 and WMCCE 2009 reports clearly identify the risks of not adapting to Climate Change, the fact remains that the most significant risk is that Climate Change Adaptation is not yet in the mainstream of the planning and delivery of the schools building programme. 2.7 This report, therefore, after summarising the risks identified in the WMCCIAP 2008 and WMCCE 2009 reports, then focuses on the key stakeholders who can influence the inclusion of Climate Change Adaptation in the schools building programme. 4

5 3. The Scenario for Climate Change Risks in School Building 3.1 Based on the climate change scenarios produced by the UK Climate Impacts Programme, the key predicted climate change phenomena in the West Midlands include: Increased average winter precipitation and increased number of intense winter precipitation events, Reduced summer precipitation, Increased winter temperatures, Increased summer temperatures, Reduced cloud cover and More extreme gale events Figure One summarises the Impacts of Climate Change and the Relevant Risks to Schools and it is recommended that this Summary is adopted as the reference for the second Milestone of this project. Impacts Of Climate Change Hotter drier summers Higher winter rainfall More intense periods Driving Rain Milder winters Increased wind speeds Extreme storms Relevant Risks Increased internal temperatures Fabric degradation Subsidence Flooding. Rain penetration. Damage of materials Roof and rooflight acoustics Mould growth. Over specified heating plant Damage of Buildings. Compromise Air seal Figure One 5

6 3.4 The Climate Change Impacts and Risks in Figure One will affect many aspects of the built environment, including external building fabric, structural integrity, internal environments, service infrastructure (e.g. drainage, water, waste, energy, transport and telecommunications), open spaces, human comfort, and the way people use indoor and outdoor space. These are likely to have knock-on consequences for operating costs, profits and rates of return. 3.5 PFI mechanisms are increasingly being used to deliver school building programmes and a growing number of organisations are critical of this programme with poor and ill considered design being a major problem and The WMCCIAP 2008 report quotes a number of relevant case studies. 3.6 These case studies demonstrate that climate-related impacts have already been experienced due to poor design and construction and claims that, unless climate change is taken into account in the design and operation of school buildings, these kinds of impacts will increase in severity and frequency. 3.7 An example is the difficulties experienced with the Exeter PFI schools which Carillion took over from Mowlem in 2006 where a number of outstanding building defects related to heating and ventilation overshadowed the obvious benefits these new school buildings brought to teaching and learning. 3.8 Climate Change will put increasing pressure on conventional building design and temperature control technologies and the frequency and severity of very hot days will mean that summertime overheating is likely to become a serious and growing problem in much of the building stock as a result of climate change. 3.9 This will present significant opportunities for designers, architects and developers to create spaces and buildings that increase resilience to climate change. 6

7 4. Climate Change Risks in School Building - Increased summer temperatures 4.1 In both of the Case Studies set out in 9. adaptation to increased summer temperatures is identified as a priority for Climate Change Adaptation. 4.2 This is principally because higher temperatures make it more difficult to maintain comfort standards inside buildings. In educational terms, this has knockon impacts on pupils concentration and productivity. High internal heat gains from IT equipment will exacerbate this heat risk. 4.3 Higher temperatures will also increase the risk that schools may need to introduce air conditioning units with consequential increases in emissions and costs as well as failure on PFI / BSF emission performance limits. 4.4 Higher temperatures will lead to greater demand for urban green space, vegetation and trees through shading / evaporative cooling which can lend themselves vulnerable to decreased water availability. Blue (water) infrastructure, open spaces and passive external solar shading techniques may also offer a way to cope with hot weather in future. 7

8 5. Additional Climate Change Risks in School Building 5.1 In addition to higher temperatures, the reports also identify the important Climate Change Risks set out in this section, with 5.2, the flooding of buildings and open spaces, being a priority. 5.2 The flooding of buildings and open spaces is likely to be more common which can lead to damage of building contents, contamination from sewage, structural damage and access problems. 5.3 Reduced summer rainfall will also increase pressures on water resources. 5.4 Subsidence and heave are expected to increase for clay soils, due to higher temperatures, lower summer rainfall, and increased evapotranspiration. Resulting impacts will affect properties and underground service infrastructure. 5.5 Increased intensity of precipitation in winter will affect building facades and internal structures and lead to more rain penetration around openings. 5.6 More intense rainfall events could mean drainage systems (including roof drainage, sewer systems, carriageway drainage etc) are less able to cope, resulting in flash flood events in urban areas. 8

9 6. Climate Change Risks in School Building PFI initiatives 6.1 It is also important to note the following risks of inadequate adaptation to Climate Change for PFI initiatives and these are also applicable to the financing of all School Building Projects. Income Concession payment reductions (when performance and availability criteria are not met) Capital costs Extreme weather interruptions during construction Additional capital requirements to meet unplanned asset failure/asset replacement during the concession period Operating costs Cost increases to meet changing customer needs and expectations, additional maintenance and repairs and asset failures Financing costs. Falling credit ratings and market confidence together with unplanned additional capital requirements may increase financing costs. Additional finance may be required to meet unplanned asset replacement and refurbishment Increasing insurance premiums and more restrictive exclusion clauses in response to flooding incidents 9

10 7. The creation of a Quality Teaching Environment. 7.1 It is essential that these risks are considered in parallel with other key sustainability objectives illustrated by the Case Study of Whitecross High School in the WMCCE 2009 report, especially the creation of a quality teaching environment. 7.2 Although there was no requirement at Whitecross to consider adapting to climate change, the climate change risks manifested themselves in the form of environmental and running cost considerations which significantly influenced the decision-making process and led to decisions and actions against climate change impacts. 7.3 In particular, the increasing pressure on the control of summertime overheating in the classroom led to measures to adapt to the risk of higher temperatures which has an adverse effect on levels of pupils concentration and productivity. 7.4 In it is noted that a key stakeholder is the Local Authority as client and this often means that the focus of the brief is to provide the best teaching environment. Sylvia McNamara, the Director of Transforming Education at Birmingham City Council, said that the Birmingham BSF project is an education project, to be led by educationalists. 7.5 Given the educational benefits of Climate Change Adaptation demonstrated by both Whitecross and Redhill Schools in 9. this offers the ideal opportunity to influence the Local Authority as client and specifier. 10

11 8. Current Guidance on Climate Change in School Building 8.1 Some preliminary research by WMCCE demonstrates that the current guidance on Climate Change in Schools concentrates overwhelmingly on Climate Change Mitigation rather than Climate Change Adaptation. 8.2 A presentation to a Scince City Low Carbon Group, on behalf of the Birmingham Local Education Partnership on 24 th March 2010 stated that the Main Current Challenge is reducing electricity related carbon (lighting, mechanical ventilation etc ) which assumes the increased use of biomass heating. 8.3 Guidance issued by the Department of Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) on August 2008 focuses on achieving Low Carbon School Buildings. 8.4 Work by the Sustainable Development Commission for the Department for Children, Schools and Families was designed to understand the carbon emissions associated with the English schools estate. 8.5 Faithful and Gould was commissioned by the Department for Education and Skills to report on the cost of BREEAM (BRE Environmental Assessment Method) compliance in Schools and experience at Whitecross School has demonstrated that there is limited correlation between BREEAM and Climate Change Adaptation. 8.6 The current Climate Change targets for BSF are low carbon targets :- To reduce emissions by at least 60% compared with the 2002 Building Regulations. Carbon consumption to be below 27kgco2/m2/annum. 8.7 Target Zero, a report published by a consortium led by Corus focuses on the Routes to Low and Zero Operational Carbon in five non-domestic buildings, including schools. 8.8 It is recommended that the output from the second stage of this project is used to procure formal Guidance on Climate Change Adaptation on Schools, building on the work commissioned by WMCCE from BRE on refurbishment in schools. A first stage in this work can be the analysis of issues relevant to Climate Change Adaptation in the reports set out in this section. 11

12 9. Best Practice in adapting to Climate Change in School Building The West Midlands is fortunate in having two leading examples of schools which have been designed and constructed to become best practice examples of Climate Change Adaptation in Schools. 9.1 The Whitecross High School in Hereford was developed to deliver an energy efficient school facility for 900 students and 100 staff. The project was undertaken under a PFI contract by Stepnell Ltd who formed a PFI consortium including specialists in education, design, finance, financial modelling, computing, insurance, facilities management and PFI legal advice to design and build the school buildings and maintain them for 25 years. The construction work lasted for three years from May 2003 to June 2007 with a contract value of 15m. 9.2 The Red Hill Primary School in Worcester was built to accommodate 210 pupils, plus a new nursery facility with a 60 year design life. The new School was procured through the traditional method in which the design work was undertaken by Worcestershire County Council Property Service in- house architectural department and the construction work was awarded to Frank Galliers Ltd. via a one stage tendering process. After fifteen months of construction work, the new Red Hill school was completed in April 2007 at a total cost of 2.7 million. 9.3 In addition to being developed under different funding regimes, the Whitecross High School and the Red Hill Primary School also formulated different responses to the Adaptation to Climate Change. 9.4 The most significant difference between the two schools is that Whitecross High School installed mechanical ventilation whilst Red Hill Primary School relies on natural ventilation by ductwork, additional windows and patio doors. However, it must be emphasised that both schools stress the fundamental importance of this enhanced ventilation, as a Climate Change Adaptation measure, to the successful creation of a Quality Teaching Environment. In both schools, the ventilation system was supplemented by the incorporation of high thermal mass with thick insulation and both installed Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS) to adapt to the risk of flooding. The detailed adaptation measures adopted in each school are set out in Appendices One and Two. 12

13 10. The key players in School Building in the West Midlands 10.1 Figure Two is taken from the WMCCE 2009 report and identifies The Local Authority The Delivery Contractor SMEs as the key stakeholders in the School Building programme Figure Two However, this does not paint the full picture for the reasons set out in 10.1, 10.2 and

14 10.1 Partnerships for Schools (PfS) is the Government Body responsible for the management and delivery of the government's capital investment programmes into schools. This includes the Academies Programme as well as Building Schools for the Future. Under the heading of Sustainability, Partnerships for Schools says that the BSF programme is committed to reducing carbon emissions from schools, with all buildings making the most of sustainable features to help protect the environment and reduce overheads. In some schools students can monitor the amount of energy consumed, rainwater is used to flush toilets, and recycled materials are used for construction. Whilst this is limited in the delivery of Climate Change Adaptation in Schools, it is a base to work from in engaging with Partnerships for Schools. As noted in 8.6 the current PfS contract requirements limits PFI delivery contractors to a maximum carbon release figure of 27Kgco2/m2/annum and that is the main Climate Change related target they are expected to meet at present. In February 2009 Partnerships for Schools issued a revised national programme for Building Schools for the Future (BSF) which replaces the schedule set out in the Acclimatise report. Partnerships for Schools now reprioritises Building Schools for the Future (BSF) based on the revised expressions of interest provided by all authorities with projects in waves 7 to 15 of BSF. Partnerships for Schools, and its representatives in the Government Office for the West Midlands, will be engaged in the workshop and consultation to deliver the second Milestone of this project Figure Two does not take account of the fact that Local Authorities have two separate roles in this process As Client, e.g. Directors of Education and the Project Directors for the Partnerships for Schools programme 14

15 Design teams such as the Worcestershire County Council Property Service in-house architectural department and external advisors to the Clients in It is important that both of these stakeholders are engaged in the delivery of the second Milestone of this project. It must also be noted that Local Authorities procure School Building through their own financial resources in addition to the Partnerships for Schools programme. This means that the directly funded School Building projects offer an alternative and possibly more immediate opportunity to influence the incorporation of Climate Change Adaptation in the School Building Programme West Midlands Local Authorities Each Local Authority is at a different stage in the Building Schools for the Future programme and approaches have already been made to key players in Local Authorities. In 2009, Birmingham City Council selected Catalyst Lendlease as the preferred bidder for the 15-year Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme to rebuild or refurbish 89 secondary schools in Birmingham. The Technical Transformation Manager for Lendlease has expressed an interest in taking a full part in the workshop in the second stage of this project. In March 2010, Worcestershire County Council held a BSF Bidders Open Day for contractors interested in the Council s BSF programme the first wave of which will be the Wyre Forest, which will receive approximately 130m in investment through BSF. The Worcestershire BSF Project Manager has asked to be kept informed of progress on the WMCCE work on Climate Change Impact and Adaptation in relation to BSF. Warwickshire County Council are at the planning stage of BSF as well as detailed stage of Council financed school building. The Design and Construction Group Manager wants to be involved in the workshop and is especially keen to network with his counterparts in other Local Authorities. Wolverhampton City Council has appointed inspiredspaces as the Preferred Bidder to deliver the council's 370M Building Schools 15

16 for the Future Programme. Carillion are partners in Inspiredspaces and contact has been established with the Managing Director of Carillion Midlands on this. In addition to Whitecross School, Stepnell Ltd is the BSF contractor for the Minster School Leominster. The Directors of Stepnell are closely involved with WMCCE and will take a leading role in the workshop. WMCCE will make use of its excellent contacts with Balfour Beatty and the Thomas Vale/Wates Joint Venture who are the design and build partners for Stoke s 250m schools programme Similar contacts will be made with all Local Education Authorities in the West Midlands region, in both roles set out in 10.2, together with BSF contractors and consortiums and SMEs in their supply chain to engage in the workshop and consultation to deliver the second Milestone of this project. WMCCE will pay particular attention to Solihull who were one of the first Authorities within Wave 1 of the BSF programme, Coventry who have just shortlisted Bam and Laing O'Rourke for their 355m BSF, Sandwell who have appointed Interserve as BSF contractor and Dudley who have just failed in a 300 million bid to the BSF programme to see what lessons can be learned from that bid. Shropshire has a single Building Schools for the Future (BSF) project, the William Brookes school in Much Wenlock, Staffordshire is holding its BSF Bidder's Day on 12 May, Telford and Wrekin has appointed Kier as its preferred contractor and Walsall expects to be included in the BSF programme in Teachers and Students The WMCCE 2009 report notes that, in the Whitecross High School development, the engagement of teachers and students at the design stage improved the usability of the school buildings. The following measures were applied by Stepnell to establish a close working relationship with the end users and thus facilitate the achievement of a practical teaching and learning space with a high internal comfort level : Brainstorming with students: to clearly identify the end-user s needs in the initial design period; 16

17 Open discussion with teachers: to assist the design evolution; Site visits of teachers and students: to encourage the involvement of end-users. This emphasises the fundamental importance of engaging teachers and students at the earliest stage of the project to create the Quality Teaching Environment described in 7. Redhill School has also engaged teachers and pupils at both design and operation stages. WMCCE will use its good contacts with the teachers from both Whitecross and Redhill Schools to engage them in the workshop and consultation in 1.3, together with others with experience of relevant School Building projects 10.5 Professional and Technical Organisations Through its extensive network of contacts in the West Midlands, WMCCE will also engage the key regional professional and technical organisations including MADE, the Regional Architecture Centre in the West Midlands, to reflect the fact that the design of schools is such an important issue in Climate Change adaptation in Schools. 11. Next Steps Using this report as a readily accessible summary for the invitees for the workshop and consultation, the next stage is to agree the format for the workshop and consult with the representatives of the Climate Change Partnership so that the invitations can be issued. John Sharpe FRICS Bates Wood Ltd WMCCE Delivery Partner West Midlands Centre for Constructing Excellence WMCCE sustainability@wmcce.org Web: 17

18 APPENDIX ONE CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION AT REDHILL SCHOOL WORCESTER 18

19 APPENDIX TWO CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION AT WHITECROSS SCHOOL HEREFORD 19

20 APPENDIX THREE DEFINING CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION AND ADAPTATION The terms adaptation and mitigation are two important terms that are fundamental in the climate change debate. The International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) defines adaptation as adjustment in natural or human systems in response to actual or expected climatic stimuli or their effects, which moderate harm or exploits beneficial opportunities. Climate adaptation also refers to the ability of a system to adjust to climate change (including climate variability and extremes) to moderate potential damage, to take advantage of opportunities, or to cope with the consequences. The IPCC defines mitigation as: An anthropogenic intervention to reduce the sources or enhance the sinks of greenhouse gases. Climate mitigation is also any action taken to permanently eliminate or reduce the long-term risk and hazards of climate change to human life, property. 20

21 REFERENCES West Midlands Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation Partnership WMCCIAP (2008). Climate Change Risks for Building Schools for the Future Projects in the West Midlands - Acclimatise and Climate Risk Management Ltd. West Midlands Centre for Constructing Excellence WMCCE (2009). Case Study on Best Practice in Adapting to Climate Change for the Built Environment in the West Midlands - Yu, Wilson, Sharpe, Cheriyan. 21