CRC - College Meeting Minutes

MINUTES OF MEETING
Norwich City College
9a.m. 10th April 2008

Attendees:-
Norwich City College - Dick Palmer - Tony Huggins - Phil Taylor

College Redevelopmentent Concerns - Barrie Nunn - Peter Caryer - Mark

Purpose of Meeting:- Review of Plans for development of new building adjacent to Thetford Building

1) The Proposal

- Government has instigated 17 new vocational courses for 14-19yr-olds, with staged rollout from 2009-2013, and of which City College has successfully applied as part of a consortium, for 3 of the 9 courses currently available;
- One of these is in “Bricklaying, Building and Construction in the Built Environment”;
- The project is grant-aided with £600k of the £1m grant for the project is to be allocated to NCC, with the balance split between partners, Hewett School, Blyth Jex and Costessey;
- Project cost for NCC is £1.6m, balance to be funded from borrowing or reserves;
- Building to be integrated into overall redevelopment plan subject to Detailed Planning Permission.

2) The Building
- A “green” 2-storey building incorporating modern environmental design aimed at low carbon footprint;
- Construction to be a mix of hemp-block, timber, stone, sedums to the roof, “revealed” construction, and use of solar panels, sustainable materials;
- Low impact development, less intense construction, need for bore-hole to provide water;
- Usage – courses in CAD-based, project-focussed building design, allowing students to energy-saving concepts in action, use of materials and sustainability of alternative building methods;
- Footprint stated as being equivalent to current terrapin building.


3) Student Numbers
- NCC already have 1,000 students attending similar but more practical courses;
- Expected numbers for the new courses are 80-100 day-to-day.

4) Transport
- Points were raised concerning the conflict with construction of the new perimeter road, if the main plan receives planning approval.

5) Critical Cost Comparison
- Cost will be greater than for construction using conventional materials, due to their scarcity in this relatively undeveloped market within the construction industry;
- Old-tech techniques have been updated to modern design;
- Longevity of the building is projected as 40-50yrs.

6) Action-Plan
- CRC to communicate plans to neighbours, but allowing for reservations to be expressed given the nature and location, as well as impact on trees and neighbouring property;
- NCC to write confirming submission of Detailed Planning Application.
- Plans to be made available to CRC possibly by e-mail post-submission.

7) Main Application
- Meeting was not aimed at addressing the main application, but questions were aired concerning the location, impact and screening of the car-park, and the location of the “Energy Centre”.
Meeting concluded 10.25 a.m.