For discussion PWSC(95-96)80
on 24 January 1996

ITEM FOR PUBLIC WORKS SUBCOMMITTEE
OF FINANCE COMMITTEE

HEAD 703 - BUILDINGS
Education - Primary
183EP - Non-standard primary school in area 2, Tsuen Wan

Members are invited to recommend to Finance Committee the upgrading of 183EP to Category A at an estimated cost of $76.3 million in money-of-the-day prices for the construction of a non-standard primary school in area 2, Tsuen Wan.

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PROBLEM
PROPOSAL
PROJECT SCOPE AND NATURE
JUSTIFICATION
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
PUBLIC CONSULTATION
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS
LAND ACQUISITION
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
183EP - Non-standard primary school in area 2, Tsuen Wan
A comparison of the standard cost of a primary school project with the estimated cost of 183EP

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PROBLEM

The Director of Education (D of E) forecasts that there will be a shortfall of 98 primary school classes in school zone 304 (Sham Tseng, Ma Wan and Lantau North-east) by 1997.

PROPOSAL

2. The Director of Architectural Services (D Arch S), with the support of the Secretary for Education and Manpower, proposes to upgrade 183EP to Category A at an estimated cost of $76.3 million in money-of-the-day (MOD) prices for the construction of a non-standard primary school in area 2, Tsuen Wan.

PROJECT SCOPE AND NATURE

3. The primary school will comprise -

1. 30 classrooms;
2. four special rooms;
3. three remedial teaching rooms;
4. a guidance activity/interview room;
5. two interview rooms;
6. a staff common room;
7. a student activity centre;
8. a library; and
9. an assembly hall and ancillary facilities.

4. The area of the site for the proposed school is 3 410 square metres (including 350 square metres for a drainage reserve), which is smaller than the site area of 6 200 square metres for a standard design primary school. We will construct the primary school to a non-standard design to suit the site area. The new school will contain all the facilities of a standard design primary school though its assembly hall, student activity centre and open space will be smaller. We have to use the proposed school site despite its small size because it is the only formed site readily available in school zone 304.

JUSTIFICATION

5. There are at present two primary schools which provide a total of 10 classes in school zone 304 (Sham Tseng, Ma Wan and Lantau North-east). D of E forecasts that the demand for primary school classes in this school zone will reach 108 classes in 1997. There will be a shortfall of 98 classes. The proposed school which will come into operation in 1997 will alleviate the shortfall by providing an additional 30 classes. We will meet the remaining shortfall in the future school building programme.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

6. We estimate the capital cost of the project to be $76.3 million in MOD prices (see paragraph 7 below), made up as follows -

A breakdown by man months of the estimate for consultants’ fees is at Enclosure 1 and a comparison of the standard cost of a primary school project with the estimated cost of the proposed school project is at Enclosure 2.

7. Subject to approval, we will phase expenditure as follows -

8. We derive the MOD estimate on the basis of the Government’s forecasts of trend labour and construction prices over the period between 1996 and 1999. We will tender the works under a fixed-price lump-sum contract because we can clearly define the scope of works in advance, leaving little room for uncertainty.

9. We estimate the annually recurrent expenditure for the school to be $13.6 million. As the new school will be an aided school, the sponsoring body will bear the costs of furniture and equipment, estimated at $1.9 million.

PUBLIC CONSULTATION

10. We consulted the Tsuen Wan District Board in May 1995. The District Board supported the school project.

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS

11. The Director of Environmental Protection conducted an environmental review for this project in November 1994 and concluded that an environmental impact assessment would not be necessary. We will provide noise mitigation measures, in the form of parapet/boundary walls, to reduce the traffic noise levels to within the established standards and guidelines. We have included the estimated cost of $1.2 million for the mitigation measures in the project estimate.

12. For short term construction impact, we will control dust and site run-off nuisance during construction to within established guidelines/standards through the implementation of mitigation measures in the relevant contract.

LAND ACQUISITION

13. The project does not require land acquisition.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

14. We included 183EP in Category B in April 1995.

15. We have completed site investigations for the project. We have engaged consultants of the architectural and structural engineering disciplines for detailed design and preparation of tender documents at an estimated cost of $2.28 million, which we have charged to the block allocation Subhead 3009GX “Consultants’ fees for building projects”. We have completed the detailed design. We plan to start construction works in May 1996 for completion in August 1997.

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Enclosure 1 to PWSC(95-96)80

183EP - Non-standard primary school in area 2, Tsuen Wan

Breakdown of the estimate for consultants’ fees

Notes

1. The average estimated cost per professional man month is roughly equivalent to a professional on MPS point 44.
2. The average estimated cost per technical man month is roughly equivalent to a Technical Officer on MPS point 20.
3. The figures above are based on the fee proposals submitted by the consultants who have been selected through the usual competitive system to carry out pre-contract preparatory work on a lump sum basis. Subject to approval, the same consultants will be employed for site supervision and contract administration.
4. The estimated consultants’ fees represent 3.9% of the total project estimate, and cover post-contract site supervision services and contract administration services for architectural, quantity surveying and structural engineering disciplines.

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Enclosure 2 to PWSC(95-96)80

A comparison of the standard cost of a primary school project with the estimated cost of 183EP

*Assumptions for standard cost

1. No site formation work/geotechnical work is required as it is normally carried out under a separate engineering vote.
2. Piling cost is based on 110 nos. of steel H-piles of an average depth of 30 metres.
3. Cost for drainage and external works is for a standard school of 6 200 square metres built on a flat site. No diversion of existing utilities or noise mitigation measures are required.
4. No consultancy services are required.
5. Furniture and equipment cost is excluded as it is usually borne by the sponsoring body.

Notes

1. Construction of a new retaining structure (7 metres high and 70 metres long) between Castle Peak Road and the school site is required to replace the existing dilapidated retaining wall.
2. Sprinkler provision is required by the Fire Services Department as the school is of non-standard design.
3. Despite the smaller size of the site, the costs of drainage and external works are higher because an access ramp and pumping facilities to discharge waste are required due to the level difference between the site and adjacent roads. A solid boundary wall along Castle Peak Road and special parapet walls at the corridors of 4/F to 6/F are required as noise mitigation measures.
4. Consultancy services for architectural, structural engineering and quantity surveying disciplines are required for this project.

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