Ben Rice from Active Underwood (AU), & also a BCC councillor, approached the council in December 2015 on behalf of AU with the concept of building an extension to Underwood Community Centre for use as a community gym to be run by AU. The design drawings and Grant Funding from the Rural Communities Development Fund (RCDF) & Big Lottery fund already in place and presented to the council for consideration. BCC agreed to support the extension being built and to act a guarantor for the project and managers for the project funding.
Due to the complexities of the project it was agreed at the 3rd October 2018 meeting to form a Project Team to manage the build and finances. 5 councillors volunteered their time to take the project forward, with weekly meetings until a tender document was completed.
5th December 2018 - The Invitation To Tender Pack (ITT) was presented to Bishton Community Councillors.
6th December 2018 - An ITT document review meeting held to finalise the document ready for publishing.
13th December 2018 - The ITT Pack published.
14th January 2019 - Bishton Community Council website updated with dedicated project area (including online access to tender documentation).
19th March 2019 - The ITT resulted in only 1 tender which was declined because it exceeded our available budget. We continue to seek a contractor to take on the project as a whole. However, as a number of smaller, local firms have expressed interest in carrying out part of the works, we are also making plans to tender the project as smaller packages e.g. sewage & foundations, walls, roof steelwork & tiles, plumbing & electric. This would increase the involvement of the Project Team but still achieve a timely completion of the project.
July 2019 - The Council have engaged a single contractor, Quest Construction, to take on the construction of the project. It is estimated to last for 4-6 month. There may be some unavoidable construction noise during this period and some disruption to the use of the centre. For more information please read our extension project info leaflet.
September 2019 - The site has been set up ready for construction to begin and preliminary activities have commenced.
November 2019 - Excavation of the site has been completed and structural footings and sub base have been installed. Structural steelwork has been specified and is currently being manufactured ready for installation. Modifications to the electricity supply for the site have been completed.
January 2020 - Bad weather through December and early January caused delay to the construction work but it is now speeding up. Supporting courses of internal block work, concrete block pillars and the first rough concrete pad pour completed. The drainage system has been installed and capped off ready in final positions. The Building Regulations officer is now visiting the site regularly and monitoring the build.
February 2020 - All internal and external blockwork now completed and final screed for flooring completed. The storm drainage system running around external of building for guttering run off completed and tied into existing system. The roof framework is now on site and ready to be completed and steel roof sheeting and membrane has been ordered ready for installation. The extension is estimated to be completed by end June 2020.
April 2020 - The COVID 19 pandemic has caused major disruption to construction of the extension. The lockdown means that all work has stopped to prevent further spread of the virus. When we will finally be able complete construction depends on when restrictions are lifted.
August 2020 - Relaxation of the lockdown restrictions has allowed our contractor, Quest Construction, to return to work. However, the lockdown has caused a shortage in the supply chain for building supplies. Some timber has been delivered to site and work is progressing on installing the timber roof trusses. This work will continue when materials become available and a resupply can be arranged.
January 2021 - Although various COVID 19 restrictions have been implemented over the past few months work has progressed and nearly all the roof trusses are in place. The last timbers will join the extension roof to the existing UCC roof and will only be put on when the tiles are ready to be put on as it will mean lifting part the existing UCC roof tiles. The next step is putting on roof felt and batons.
- Brexit - The Terracotta coloured roof tiles (used on UCC) are available from a supplier in Belgium. The Brexit Agreement between UK & EU has caused some issues with supplying identical Terracotta tiles so the extension roof matches the UCC roof. A UK supplier has been found that has identical tiles but in Grey and supply is less problematic.
- UCC roof - The roof of the Community Centre has been letting in some rain water during severe winter storms. We have plans to replace the whole UCC roof felt & tiles and this work will begin when the extension roof is joined to the main building. The UCC roof will be replaced in phases and will be carried out by our current contractor, Quest Construction. The grey tile colour will match the extension roof. Once the south facing roof (opposite the surgery) is renewed Solar Panels will be installed as part of BCC programme to support producing green energy. The Solar Panels and associated works have been funded by a successful Grant application.
April 2021 - The fibreglass 'valley' between the roofs of the new extension and UCC (that will lead off rainwater) was put in place, but another COVID incident and further material supply delays has again slowed up progress on the extension. But Quest did lay the screed floor that will be the level base for rubber gym matting and in late April the 1st batch of roof tiles were delivered.
May 2021 - The east & south facing sides of the UCC roof and the extension have been tiled. Whilst waiting for delivery of the 2nd batch of roof tiles work has continued inside the extension with Celotex roof insulation is being installed.
- Once the 2nd batch of tiles have been delivered the remaining UCC roof will be stripped & renewed. Having this work completed as a priority will enable the inside the Community Centre to be redecorated and the ceiling tiles to be replaced.
June 2021 - Work has continued on the ceiling inside the extension. Insulation and ceiling boards have been fixed in place. Also the brickwork for the office & toilet has been completed. Re-roofing the Community Centre has also continued after a delay in delivery of the tiles.
July 2021 - Inside the extension the ceiling board joints have been filled to create a smooth finish. The ceiling and wall adjoining the original building have also been painted. A concrete pad between the extension main entrance and UCC kitchen entrance has been laid, as well as by the fire exit.
August 2021 - The remaining 2 sides of the UCC roof have been tiled but the materials to cover the 'hips/flashings' were not delivered with the tiles so there was a further delay before work continued but the roof is now almost finished. At a meeting on 27th August with the building contractor, Quest, we were given a deadline of September 30th when all works will be completed.
September 2021 - The roof hips have been covered and preparatory work for fixing the fascia boards and guttering is being progressed. Inside, the doors for the toilet and office have been hung and the electrician has started work to install the lighting.
- Another major step forward is the installation of Solar Panels on the Community Centre roof. They were delivered early 2020 after a successful grant application but now, after completion of the roof, installation of the solar panel was completed this week (10 Sept). They are now generating up to 5kw energy for the Community Centre. Additional panels should be fitted by the end of this month further boosting our solar energy supply.
October 2021 - The electrician has finished installing the lights and toilet ventilator but Quest has not completed any other work since the finish date was announced and they have broken off all contact with BCC. We are now looking at how the project can be completed and have contacted several builders inviting them to tender for the remaining work to complete the extension and UCC roof.
November 2021 - Only one quote has been received therefore BCC have engaged Mr Simon Heron to finish the project. He has completed work on the UCC roof, fitting soffits & fascia boards around the extension, fitted the guttering and adjusted the guttering around the community centre and completed various tasks inside the extension. As work progressed other unfinished jobs were identified and also completed. All these jobs have been completed in 2 weeks. We are actively seeking a contractor to complete the remaining groundwork task.
Inside the extension Active Underwood has finished fitting the sound proof tiles and remain on course to open the new gym at the end of January 2022.
Inside the community centre unwanted items on the stage have been sorted out and placed in a skip for disposal. The new ceiling tiles have been delivered and work has started to replace the old ones. In the old gym equipment racks have been removed from the walls and the holes filled ready for decoration.
December 2021 - The construction fence around the front of the community centre has been dismantled, the remaining fence will remain in place until the groundwork is completed. A contractor who will carry out the groundwork has been secured and he should start work in January 2022.
Inside the extension Active Underwood have completed laying floor tiles and begun assembling their new gym equipment. In the community centre more ceiling tiles have been fitted and painting of the walls in the hall and new meeting room has been completed.
January 2022 - A paving slab path has been laid around the extension and removal of the 'construction track' has been completed, (the 'shalings' material has been used at the allotments to strengthen the central track which was badly potholed and causing problems for vehicles). Landscaping using the soil piled on site has been carried out but the soil contained so much building rubble that the task took far longer than anticipated. There is still half the pile left but the ground is now too wet for it to be removed without causing problems for vehicles accessing the site. The construction fence has been dismantled and removed from the site.
Inside the extension Active Underwood has continued assembling gym equipment. A contractor is being sought to install a fire alarm in the gym.
February 2022 - Assembly of gym equipment has continued. FSS has installed a Fire Alarm system and we have contacted the NCC Building Inspector to have the building signed off as safe for use to allow the gym to be opened.
BCC Chair, John Davies, has been successful in applying for a grant from NCC. Part of this money will be used to replace the carpets in the meeting room and on the stage, both of which are in poor condition.
22nd March 2022 - AU have fitted & plumbed in the toilet & sink and given the new gym a final tidy up ready for a visit by the Building Inspector. He raised no issues during his visit today and will now be signing the new facility off for use. It is expected to open on 1st April 2022.
Project Final Report:
After finalising the Tender Document and seeking a preferred contractor for the build, we finally signed the contract with Quest Construction in July 2019. Estimated construction time was 6-9 months, but a delay providing additional information to NCC Planning Dept. meant construction began in November 2019. The foundations, floor pad & walls were completed and all was progressing well until the arrival of COVID 19 April 2020. COVID related issues continued to plague build progress due to National lockdowns, building material supply issues, construction personnel COVID infections & financial issues. But with perseverance, help from various sources and continually planning to overcome each problem as it arose we reached the finished line with the visit of the Building Inspector this morning.
What has been achieved is a purpose made community asset. As it is an extension to Underwood Community Centre, the building is owned by Bishton Community Council (BCC) but the new Community Gym will be organised & run by Active Underwood (AU). Many people have contributed to the completion of this project, some of whom worthy of mention are; Ben Rice from AU (& also a BCC councillor) who approached the council in December 2015 with the concept, design drawings and Grant Funding from the Rural Communities Development Fund (RCDF) & Big Lottery fund already in place. BCC agreed to support the extension being built and to act a guarantor for the project. They formed a small project team to produce the Tender document, seek a contractor and manage the funding & project as the build progressed. The Clerk at the time, Reg Southall, managed the finances throughout (not an easy task once COVID 19 issues started to evolve) and was the councils POC with the RCDF. Once the building was secure and the electrical work complete, AU installed soundproofing on the adjoining wall to UCC, laid rubber floor mats and set up the new gym equipment. AU also installed and plumbed in the toilet.
Other associated tasks:
Other works were also planned to coincide with construction of the gym extension. The old guttering (removed to make way for the extension) was used to replace the damaged guttering on the football changing rooms. The roof of the Community Centre had been leaking and needed replacing.
The UCC new roof task was awarded to Quest Construction to complete in conjunction with tiling the new build and the whole roof (extension & UCC) was planned to be to be completed in one go. Unexpected delays in the supply of roofing materials (COVID lockdowns again caused delays in deliveries from the supplier) and the onset of spring storms caused some water ingress to the main hall which then required redecorating and replacing the ceiling tiles once roofing was finally complete.
BCC were also successful in obtaining Grant Funding to install Solar Panels and LED lighting as part of an initiative to lower BCC's carbon footprint in line with Welsh Government Policy.
These were installed once the roofing work had been completed. The old gym, which is to become a conference room for council & community use, also needed redecorating due to years of gym use. To make UCC more attractive to customers BCC have also installed WiFi making it possible (amongst other things) to have face to face & hybrid council meetings with an online connection for those who wish to attend a meeting from home. These tasks have been financed & budgeted for from BCC funds. In January 2022 the BCC Chair, John Davies, was successful in applying for a grant from NCC and we decided to use part of this money to replace the carpets in the Conference Room and the stage in the main hall.
The completion of the Extension Project has taken 7 years from concept to signing off by the Building Inspector but the result has been a great improvement to facilities that can be offered to the community. We have overcome many difficulties and we are grateful for all those who got involved and volunteered their time to make it happen.
BCC, March 2022.