For discussion PWSC(97-98)14
on 9 May 1997

ITEM FOR PUBLIC WORKS SUBCOMMITTEE OF FINANCE COMMITTEE

HEAD 703 - BUILDINGS

Education - Primary
230EP - Primary school in area 49A, Fanling
231EP - Primary school at Belvedere Garden, area 2, Tsuen Wan

    Members are invited to recommend to Finance Committee the upgrading of 230EP and 231EP to Category A at an estimated total cost of $143.0 million in money-of-the-day prices for the construction of two primary schools, one in Fanling and one in Tsuen Wan.

PROBLEM

The Director of Education (D of E) forecasts that there will be shortfalls of 62 primary school classes in school zone 322 (Fanling and Wo Hop Shek) and 104 classes in school zone 304 (Sham Tseng and Ma Wan) by the year 1999.

PROPOSAL

2. The Director of Architectural Services (D Arch S), with the support of the Secretary for Education and Manpower, proposes to upgrade the following projects to Category A at an estimated total cost of $143.0 million in money-of-the-day (MOD) prices -


Project Estimate
$ million
(MOD)

(a) 230EP - Primary school in area 49A, Fanling

62.6

(b) 231EP - Primary school at Belvedere Garden, area 2, Tsuen Wan

80.4

_____

Total

143.0

_____

PROJECT SCOPE AND NATURE

3. The two primary schools are standard design school buildings. Each school will have -

  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;
  9. an assembly hall; and
  10. ancillary facilities.

JUSTIFICATION

4. At present, there are 14 primary schools providing a total of 340 classes for school zone 322 (Fanling and Wo Hop Shek). D of E forecasts that the demand for primary school places in this school zone will reach 402 classes in the year 1999, resulting in a shortfall of 62 classes. We propose to provide a whole-day primary school in the school zone by the year 1999 to help reduce the shortfall. We will meet the remaining shortfall in the future school building programme.

5. For school zone 304 (Sham Tseng and Ma Wan), there are at present two primary schools providing a total of 10 classes. The number of primary school classes in this school zone will increase to 40 when 183EP "Non-standard primary school in area 2, Tsuen Wan" is completed in 1997. D of E forecasts that the demand for primary school places in this school zone will reach 144 classes by the year 1999, resulting in a shortfall of 104 classes. We propose to provide a whole-day primary school in the school zone by the year 1999 to reduce the shortfall. We will meet the remaining shortfall in the future school building programme.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

6. We estimate the capital costs of 230EP and 231EP to be $62.6 million and $80.4 million respectively in MOD prices, made up as follows -


    230EP

    231EP



    $ million


    (a) Site formation

    -

    8.5


    (b) Piling

    5.3

    6.8


    (c) Building

    27.5

    31.4


    (d) Building services

    6.2

    7.0


    (e) Drainage and external works

    7.8

    7.0


    (f) Contingencies

    4.6

    5.9



    _____

    _____


    Sub-total

    51.4

    66.6

    (at December
    1996 prices)

    (g) Inflation allowance

    11.2

    13.8



    _____

    _____


    Total

    62.6

    80.4

    (in MOD
    prices)

    _____

    _____


A comparison of the standard cost of a primary school with the project estimates of these two projects is at the Enclosure.

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

Year

$ million
(Dec 1996)

Price
adjustment
factor

$ million
MOD)

230EP

231EP


230EP

231EP

1997 - 98

-

5.5

1.06750

-

5.9

1998 - 99

30.1

35.0

1.16358

35.0

40.7

1999 - 2000

16.7

20.2

1.26830

21.2

25.6

2000 - 01

4.6

5.9

1.38244

6.4

8.2

____

____


____

____

51.4

66.6


62.6

80.4

____

____


____

____

8. We have derived the MOD estimate on the basis of the Government’s forecast of trend labour and construction prices for the period 1997 to 2001. We will tender the works under fixed-price lump-sum contracts because we can clearly define the scope of works in advance, leaving little room for uncertainty.

9. We estimate the annually recurrent expenditure for each school to be $16.3 million. As the new schools will be operated as aided schools, the individual sponsoring bodies will bear the costs of furniture and equipment, estimated at $2.4 million for each school.

PUBLIC CONSULTATION

10. We consulted the Recreation, Culture and Social Services Committee of the North District Board on 230EP in March 1997, and the Tsuen Wan District Board on 231EP in January 1997. They supported the school projects.

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS

11. The consultants of D Arch S completed and the Director of Environmental Protection vetted the Preliminary Environmental Reviews (PERs) for 230EP and 231EP in February 1996 and July 1996 respectively. The PER for 230EP concluded that the proposed school would not be subject to adverse environmental impact. For 231EP, the proposed school would be subject to traffic noise impact in excess of the maximum allowable levels stipulated in the Hong Kong Planning Standards and Guidelines. We have included an estimated cost of $1.5 million in the project estimate of 231EP to implement the following noise abatement measures -

  1. provision of Type I well-gasketted windows1and air-conditioning to all the teaching rooms in the Special Room Block; and

  2. provision of Type III well-gasketted windows2 and air-conditioning to all classrooms and remedial teaching rooms facing Castle Peak Road.

1 Type I windows offer extra noise attenuation compared to conventional window types by means of the thicker an heavier glass pane and the well-gasketted frame minimises leakage of noise around the window edges.

2 Type III well-gasketted windows provide additional noise insulation through the use of 12mm thick laminated pane.

12. We will control noise, dust and site run-off nuisances during construction to comply with established guidelines/standards through the implementation of mitigation measures in the relevant contracts.

LAND ACQUISITION

13. The two projects do not require land acquisition.

Background INFORMATION

14. We upgraded 230EP and 231EP to Category B in September 1996.

15. We have completed site investigations for the two projects. We are finalising the working drawings and tender documents for the two projects using in-house staff resources. We plan to start construction work for 230EP and 231EP in March 1998 and in December 1997 respectively for completion in August 1999.

Education and Manpower Branch
April 1997
(JJ173)

Enclosure to PWSC(97-98)14

A comparison of the standard cost of a primary school project ith the estimated costs of the proposed school projects

Standard
cost*

230EP

231EP



$ million
(at Dec 1996 prices)


(a) Site formation

-

-

8.5

(see note A)

(b) Piling

8.5

5.3

6.8

(see note B)

(c) Building

27.5

27.5

31.4

(see note C)

(d) Building services

6.2

6.2

7.0

(see note D)

(e) Drainage and external works

7.0

7.8

7.0

(see note E)

(f) Contingencies

4.8

4.6

5.9



____

____

____


Total

54.0

51.4

66.6



____

____

____


* 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 at an average depth of 30 metres.

  3. Site safety provisions of 2% of the estimated contract sum (excluding contingencies) is included in the building cost.

  4. Costs for drainage and external works are for a standard school site area of 6 200 square metres built on a flat site. No diversion of existing utilities or noise mitigation measures are required.

  5. No consultancy services are required.

  6. Furniture and equipment cost is excluded as it is usually borne by the sponsoring body.

Notes

  1. For 231EP, $8.5 million is required for site formation and geotechnical works. As part of the school site covers a slope, geotechnical works are required to stabilize the slope with soil nails.

  2. Piling cost for the proposed schools are adjusted to suit individual site condition and are based on the following -


      230EP

      231EP

      Type

      Steel H-piles

      Bore piles

      Number

      120

      27

      Depth (metres)

      17

      11

  3. For 231EP, the building cost is higher because $3.2 million is required for additional substructure cost due to the use of bore piles, and $0.7 million for the provision of insulated windows as a noise mitigation measure.

  4. For 231EP, the building services cost is higher because of the provision of air-conditioning as a noise mitigation measure.

  5. For 230EP, the drainage and external works cost is higher because drainage diversion work is required.

(JJ173)

Last Updated on 16 August 1999