Challenge:

City of York Council were looking to redevelop the former Burnholme Community College site to create new and upgraded community facilities for the people of Tang Hall.

The scheme was to form part of a wider site master plan which will comprise of housing, care, health and sport facilities.

The multi-million pound Centre at Burnholme was the first stage in the regeneration, and included a new library, hall, café, learning kitchen, teaching facilities, meeting spaces and recording studios.

Development:

Due to the high volume of community use of the existing facilities and its location in a built up, residential area, there were a wide range of stakeholders to engage throughout the project.

Prior to commencement, a letter was issued to the local residents, informing of the plans for the project and several engagement sessions were held to understand local groups’ aspirations to be involved in the project.

Key to the delivery of the scheme was the requirement to adopt strict procedures around working hours to ensure we remained considerate to the local residents.

Vision panels were also formed in the hoarding to allow the locals to view progress on site as works progressed.

Delivery:

Key milestones during the development included the demolition of several single story buildings on the site, infrastructure works and the formation of a new entrance road, the development of the new building extension and the refurbishment of existing spaces.

Community engagement was an integral part of the project.

Alongside a turning of the sod event and green roof photo call with the client, children from local schools were invited to sign the steel frame, leaving a lasting legacy on the new facility. A local kids club also gave the site team an Easter makeover with decorative hard hats.

Site visits for stakeholder groups were held throughout the project and as we approached completion, a dedicated resource was assigned from Sewell to undertake familiarisation visits for The Centre’s user groups. 20 tours were hosted over the period.

Fortnightly newsletters were issued locally providing an update on progress for residents and groups.

Results

Working collaboratively with the client and the local community the scheme was delivered to the client’s high quality expectations. Applying Sewell’s look local first approach, 85% of labour was from the surrounding Yorkshire area.

The Centre at Burnholme in York is an integral part of its community.