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Councillors and Eastwood Park Masterplan cross party member and officer working group
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TOPIC: Councillors and Eastwood Park Masterplan cross party member and officer working group

Re: Councillors and Eastwood Park Masterplan cross party member and officer working group 3 years, 4 months ago #37

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This is a text transcript of file received. Unfortunately for tech reasons I cannot post the whole file.

Stallan-Brand
Date: 13/08/2020
1076.00 Eastwood Leisure Centre and Theatre
Working Group Summary Update

Summary

Key Points from Initial Working Group Meeting in March

• Benefits of location of Leisure Centre and Theatre agreed.

• Progress proposal for the Leisure Centre and Theatre with Leisure Trust as initial priority.

• Closer relationship between Leisure Centre and Theatre and Eastwood House.

• Physical link with St Ninians not desirable.

• Parking noted as point for further consideration, particularly in relation to St Ninians.

RIBA Stage 1 Briefing and Feasibility Developed

• Fortnightly workshops from early April to end June with Leisure Trust.

• Draft document issued for comment.

• Animations prepared to give a sense of the vision.

Key Developments
• Initial aspirations of the brief and vision developed.

• Concept design strategy developed which establishes excellent facilities can be accommodated which are sensitive to and benefit from the site.

• Building remains in similar position but pulled away slightly from St Ninians to allow existing parking to be maintained during construction and beyond if preferred.

• Revised building position avoids a key sewer which has been identified.

• Diagrammatic building plan developed which tests spatial requirements with clear legible architectural approach whilst considering engineering and environmental design at same time as offering flexibility.

• Clear strategy for delivering best value and quality considering existing infrastucture, opportunities, constraints and attractive site characteristics

• Tandem build allowing existing buildings and parking to remain operational during construction.

Additionality Considered

• Broader potential of Eastwood Park and each of the facilities within it.

• Potential incorporation of library in the theatre and leisure centre.

• Orangerie proposal for Eastwood House.

Programme
• Outline Programme prepared to consider overall timescales and priorities

The Theatre & Buildings ‘Front of House’

Orientation
The proposed location of the new Eastwood Theatre is on the eastern edge of the building plan.

The positioning of the theatre provides the facility with a ‘front of house’ and a civic expression towards its principal approach.

In addition to culturally animating the buildings front door, encouraging footfall the theatre stage area is also well located for essential service access and egress.

Aspect
Additionally, the theatre has the potential to activate the public spaces around the building with different uses.

On the buildings east elevation the opportunity exists for an
Eastwood Theatre restaurant with an area for external seating.

To the north extending directly behind the theatre a foyer bar is well located to again enliven the buildings perimeter.

South of the theatre directly behind the stage area and back of house there is an area where outdoor theatre and performance events can occur.

This area benefits from a sunny ‘garden’ aspect.

Concept Diagram: Gym, Courts, Arcade, Cafe & Library

Orientation
The gym and courts area are organised each side of a proposed leisure arcade that helps link the south and north areas of the park.

During the day the arcade will be a convenient through route for pedestrians.

A cafe and reception space will orientate people helping make what is a large building highly legible.

It will be super clear where activities are and how to get to them, whilst ensuring supervision and necessary security measures. There is the prospect of incorporating a local library service to encourage further community synergies.

Aspect

The north south arcade axis is strategically planned to provide an entrance to the building from both the south garden area and from the area of parking and from St.Ninians School to the north.

The ability to access the park at these points supports increased external sports activities through the provision of convenient changing areas and amenity.

Concept Diagram: The Swimming Pools & Wet Areas

Orientation
The swimming pools are located at the western end of the proposed building. This end of the park is quieter and less trafficked.

The ancillary and changing areas are located to the north against the existing football pitch to allow the pools to take advantage of the open views to the south towards the existing Eastwood House.

Aspect
The swimming areas are presented with a wooded outlook helping to reinforce the visitor experience, a sense of wellbeing and to respect the existing mature trees.


Efficiency of Concept Diagram

Orientation
All of the buildings activities have been arranged to optimise adjacencies, legibility, internal circulation, access, security & supervision and importantly mechanical & electrical servicing and structural efficiency.

The building is ‘skewed’ with a super rational east west route that organises the large span activities to the south and the small span spaces to the north.

This route will help make a very large building easy to navigate, operate and environmentally control.

Aspect
All of the internal activities take full advantage of a positive aspect towards the parkland setting.

The character areas and social pockets surrounding the building will help to
humanise the architecture and contextualise it.

Environmental Response

Orientation
The proposal presents a long south elevation that elegantly inserts itself into the landscape so as to frame the north edge of the Eastwood House garden area and set itself back from impacting on the existing trees.

Fundamentally the proposed building plan has been organised to take advantage
of this south facing orientation.

From an environmental design perspective this has numerous advantages, with regards to energy consumption and daylighting.

Aspect
The buildings natural setting is and its relationship to Eastwood House has been carefully considered.

The buildings scale and proximiety is informed by new garden narrative that frames context, allowing the building to become more a ‘background’ building than a ‘foreground’ feature.

The northern side of the building is much more functional with parking and playing fields, the buildings siting effectively helping to mask these uses from the more picturesque area around the existing house.

Open Space & Parking

Pedestrian Priority
The Park requires to be pedestrian prioritised with vehicles being requiredto reduce their speed and give-way to people and cyclists.

The traffic management tries to avoid the cross over between people, pathways and roads where possible. Parking is generally gathered to the eastern edge of the park although further rationalisation is possible.

Diagrammatic Plans
Plan Diagram Testing and Flexibility

The key diagrammatic principles have been tested with a variety of sizes of building.

Examples of aspects tested are as follows.
• Allowing generous circulation and arrival space to recognise the potential for events and to accommodate activities for all ages groups complimentary to the cafe space

• Potential for the health suite to deliver an attractive spa experience

• Generous provision for circulation in the theatre recognising emphasis on
spectators, performers and technicians with mobility considerations

• Generous support space provision to theatre including social space, a studio theatre a rehearsal space reflecting this a main arts and culture offer in East Renfrewshire.

• Generous provision for storage allowing flexible use of spaces to be optimised.

• Potential to incorporate other complimentary facilities including a library, agile workspace and meeting spaces.

The process demonstrates a clear flexibility which will enable the design to be managed to suit key considerations including quality of spaces and facilities, flexibility of facilities for general use and events, budget and lifecyle cost


Eastwood House
Potential Orangerie
An orangery could provide potential for larger events.

It could potentially also accommodate council chambers and existing area in Eastwood House could become facilities for elected members and other council services alongside existing community uses.

The floor area of the orangery shown adjacent is 400sqm which is similar in scale to the existing council chambers.

Programme
Preliminary Programme

A high level programme has been developed to allow discussion around key considerations.

Delivery of the project is a priority as the existing facilities are aging.

They are inefficient to run, often closed for maintenance and not providing the quality of facilities which are available elsewhere leading to a gradual
decline in customer numbers and impacting on essential services that can be provided such as swimming lessons.

The high level programme indicates the earliest timescale is likely to be 3 years to completion of the leisure centre and theatre.

In essence, 1 year for design and 2 years for construction.

The demolition of existing facilities and making good of landscaped areas would follow this.

There are a number of key aspects which affect these timescales.

Many of the studies informing the design stage are seasonal such
ecology studies.

These timescales could accommodate a variety of procurement routes, although some are better suited than others where efficient delivery timescales are critical alongside the need to deliver a high quality of design within a sensitive setting.

Significant changes in programme also have a significant impact on budget with the impact of inflation.

Re: Councillors and Eastwood Park Masterplan cross party member and officer working group 3 years, 4 months ago #38

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Eastwood Park Programme

March, April, May, June 2020 -
RIBA Stage 1 (Breifing / Feasibility)

June 2020 -
Consider Procurement Route

June 2020 -
Mobilise Design Team

June, July, August 2020 -
RIBA Stage 2 (Concept Design)

June, July, August, September 2020 -
Surveys (ecology surveys are seasonal and critical)

September, October, November 2020 -
RIBA Stage 3 (Developed Design)

September, October, November 2020 -
Statutoy Pre Application Public Consultation

December 2020, January, February, March 2021 -
Planning Approval Period

December 2020, January, February, March, April 2021-
RIBA Stage 4 (Technical Design)

December 2020, January, February, March 2021 -
Building Warrant Preparation

April, May, June, July 2021 -
Building Warrant Approvals (Staged)

January, February, March, April 2021 -
Market Testing Information

May, June, July 2021 -
Market Testing

August 2021-
RIBA Stage 5 (Construction: 24 months)

Re: Councillors and Eastwood Park Masterplan cross party member and officer working group 3 years, 4 months ago #39

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There would appear to be nothing in the report regarding the £40m - £60m Cost

- Consultants costs since 2014

- Actual Building Cost

- Running Cost

- Maintenance Cost

All the above have to be paid for by Council Tax Payers - NOT the Leisure Trust.

Re: Councillors and Eastwood Park Masterplan cross party member and officer working group 3 years, 4 months ago #40

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------ Original Message ------
To: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Cc: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Sent: Tuesday, 10 Nov, 2020 At 12:49
Subject: Why information is not held - Instruction from Gerry Mahon ERC Chief Officer (Legal and Procurement) to contact you

Andrew Cahill
Director of Environment

Cc: Gerry Mahon ERC Chief Officer (Legal and Procurement).

I refer to the instruction(Email attached below) from Gerry Mahon, ERC, Chief Officer (Legal and Procurement).

He instructs -

'Your queries as to why information is not held falls outwith my remit in this matter and would be required to be directed to the relevant Director for the service concerned.'

It concerns further information reasonably concluded to be held by ERC regarding the Eastwood Park Masterplan Working Group.

This is a large and complex project that has been running since 2014 with an approx cost of between £40m - £60m.

It is very difficult to believe that with a project of this size/complexity and cost, that there is not further information held by ERC regarding the information outlined below.

East Renfrewshire Council tax payers must have confidence in this process and in the way it is being carried out.

Especially when Trust Board Members and in particular, Councillors who are members of East Renfrewshire Culture & Leisure Trust Board

- are there in a private capacity and not present to reflect the needs of the council

- must place the interest of the trust before that of the Local Authority, including councillors and officers.

This amount and complexity of information cannot just be contained in the memory of the Working Group participants.

Surely, It has to be recorded for reference, accuracy and scrutiny.

It is therefore reasonable to conclude from the public available information referring to the work of the Masterplan Working Group that ERC does hold further recorded information etc (emails/reports/documents/notes/agendas/minutes etc) regarding/in the form of -

1. Meeting Agenda and Minute for at least 1 further meeting held on 13 August 2020.

2. Reports from Ian Harper(as it refers to the most recent report, it is reasonable to conclude there is more than 1 report)

'I will sort out the agenda with you in due course including attaching the most recent report from Ian Harper.'

3. Specifications regarding Leisure Centre facilities

'- Ian Harper / Anthony McCreavy to determine final specification for the Leisure Centre facilities'

4. Details of focus groups/Focus Group results. Specification and results regarding focus groups.

'Focus Groups to take place for what facilities are missing / people would like to see in the new Leisure Centre – focus groups to include; pupils, parents, users of the leisure centre and non-users'

'Bring specification and results of the focus groups back to the Working Group to sign off final Leisure Centre Specification.'

5. Final Leisure Centre Specification

'Bring specification and results of the focus groups back to the Working Group to sign off final Leisure Centre Specification.'

6. As the Cabinet Committee were informed that 'fortnightly meetings have been held since then to progress the plans.'

- Please provide Agendas/minutes/notes/reports/documents/emails regarding these fortnightly meetings

'Report to Cabinet Meeting 10 September 2020 -
East Renfrewshire Culture & Leisure Limited
Balanced Scorecard For the quarter ended 31 March 2020

Eastwood Leisure Centre and Eastwood Park Masterplan Working Group
The first meeting of the Eastwood Leisure Centre and Eastwood Park Masterplan Working Group took place on March 12th.
Chaired by the Leader of the Council, it had with representation from the Trust in the form of independent and Council Trustees, and the Chief Executive.
The group instructed the design team to take forward the development of the brief with the Trust, and fortnightly meetings have been held since then to progress the plans.'

7. I think it reasonable to conclude that there is further recorded information held regarding

- the brief for the project to be progressed by the client team.

- Details/Terms of Reference/members of the client team

- The ongoing Work during lockdown

- The instructions to the design team

- Details/Terms of Reference/members of the design team

- The development of the brief

The design team to take forward the development of the brief with the Trust - minutes/notes/reports/documents concerning this development with the Trust

Details of fortnightly meetings - minutes/notes/reports/documents

Progress of the plans - notes/reports/documents


As the following is now in the public domain -

'EAST RENFREWSHIRE COUNCIL
CABINET
10 SEPTEMBER 2020
Report by Director of Education
EAST RENFREWSHIRE CULTURE AND LEISURE END-YEAR REPORT 2019-2020
12.The vision for ERCL “is to be the highest-performing Leisure Trust in Scotland”. Action continues to be taken to improve performance further and modernise service delivery. The Eastwood Leisure Centre and Eastwood Park Masterplan Working Group, chaired by the Leader of the Council, met in March and agreed the development of the brief for the project to be progressed by the client team. Work has been ongoing during lockdown and the next meeting of the group is being arranged.
and
Report to Cabinet Meeting 10 September 2020 -
East Renfrewshire Culture & Leisure Limited
Balanced Scorecard For the quarter ended 31 March 2020
Eastwood Leisure Centre and Eastwood Park Masterplan Working Group
The first meeting of the Eastwood Leisure Centre and Eastwood Park Masterplan Working Group took place on March 12th.
Chaired by the Leader of the Council, it had with representation from the Trust in the form of independent and Council Trustees, and the Chief Executive.
The group instructed the design team to take forward the development of the brief with the Trust, and fortnightly meetings have been held since then to progress the plans.'

8. I think it reasonable to conclude that there is further recorded information regarding

- The 'suggested way forward to accelerate the project.'

- Meeting Agendas

'From: Cahill, Andrew
Sent: 11 August 2020 15:54
To: Fry, Lesley < This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it >; Buchanan, Tony (Cllr) < This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it >; Daws, Phil < This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it >; Fletcher, J (Provost) < This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it >; Grant, B (Cllr) < This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it >; Ian Harper < This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it >; McReavy, Anthony < This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it >; Merrick, C (Cllr) < This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it >; O'Kane, Paul (Cllr) <Paul.O' This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it >; Shaw, Mhairi < This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it >; Smith, Graeme5 < This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it >; Wallace, Gordon (Cllr) < This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it >
Subject: RE: Eastwood Leisure Centre and Eastwood Park Masterplan Working Group

Colleagues
Please find attached a summary presentation for our teleconference meeting on Thursday at 11:30 AM.
The meeting of the Cabinet at 10 AM beforehand should be finished by this time so let's aim to start at 11:30 AM sharp.
Our consultants will participate in the meeting and will talk you through the presentation and the good progress made since we last met despite the coronavirus issue.
Subject to the outcome of the discussion I will conclude with a suggested way forward to accelerate the project.
Regards
Andy
-----Original Appointment-----
From: Fry, Lesley < This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it >
Sent: 07 August 2020 16:54
To: Buchanan, Tony (Cllr); Cahill, Andrew; Daws, Phil; Fletcher, J (Provost); Grant, B (Cllr); Ian Harper; McReavy, Anthony; Merrick, C (Cllr); O'Kane, Paul (Cllr); Shaw, Mhairi; Smith, Graeme5; Wallace, Gordon (Cllr)
Subject: Eastwood Leisure Centre and Eastwood Park Masterplan Working Group
When: 13 August 2020 11:30-12:30 (UTC+00:00) Dublin, Edinburgh, Lisbon, London.
Where: Microsoft Teams Meeting
Meeting to take place via Teams at 11.30am or as soon after the meeting of the Cabinet finishes
Agenda to follow.

9. I think it reasonable to conclude that there is further recorded information regarding

- Initial aspirations of the brief and vision developed.

- Concept design strategy developed which establishes excellent facilities can be accommodated which are sensitive to and benefit from the site.

- Diagrammatic building plan developed which tests spatial requirements with clear legible architectural approach whilst considering engineering and environmental design at same time as offering flexibility.

- Clear strategy for delivering best value and quality considering existing infrastucture, opportunities, constraints and attractive site characteristics

- Outline Programme prepared to consider overall timescales and prioritiesc

10. Further Emails to/ from -

ERC - Leisure Trust/Leisure Trust Chief Executive - Masterplan Working Group Chair - Masterplan Working Group members - Third Parties - Consultants - Council Officials - Director for Environment

Regarding all of the subjects(1 - 9) above.


It is very difficult to believe that with a project of this size/complexity and cost, that this amount of complex information is only held in the memory of the Members.

Electronic copies are acceptable.

Your help with this matter will be very much appreciated.

Thanks



Attached email from Gerry Mahon ERC Chief Officer (Legal and Procurement) for info/reference -

------ Original Message ------
From: "Mahon, Gerry" < This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it >
Sent: Friday, 30 Oct, 2020 At 11:47
Subject: RE: Request for Review - FOI Request 101002296727

It is formally the response to 221500 , although it also serves to provide further information under the Request reference 101002296727.
As regards the latter, you will recall that my initial searches had been hampered by office closure due to Covid restrictions. At that time, discussion with relevant officers involved in the group suggested that notes for the initial meeting were physically held in the office. Now that the office accommodation is accessible I have been able to access relevant paperwork held in physical form in that location and it is clear that the notes had been committed to a finalised minute form which I have sent you. I have been unable to locate any handwritten notes. I remain unclear at this time as to why the minute did not show up in earlier searches of electronic files given that it appears to have been the subject of an e-mail but will investigate this aspect to assess the need for future improvements in internal search procedures.
As regards the other matters raised in your e-mail below I have again asked for searches to be revisited by relevant officers but results indicate that no further information is held.

Your queries as to why information is not held falls outwith my remit in this matter and would be required to be directed to the relevant Director for the service concerned.

Yours sincerely
Gerry Mahon

Re: Councillors and Eastwood Park Masterplan cross party member and officer working group 3 years, 4 months ago #41

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Our Ref: MR/AV
Your Ref:
Contact:
Tel: 0141 577 3253
Fax: 0141 577 3276
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Date: 16 November 2020

Education Department
211 Main Street
Barrhead
G78 1SY

Freedom of Information Ref: 2343989

Thank you for you freedom of information request relating to Eastwood Leisure Centre and Eastwood Park Masterplan Working Group taking forward the development of the brief with the Trust, and fortnightly meetings being held to progress plans.

Please see our response below.

Dates when each of these fortnightly meetings were held.

20/3, 17/4, 1/5, 15/5, 29/5, 12/6, 26/6, 10/7, 11/8, 18/8, 2/9, 11/9, 18/9, 2/10, 20/10

How/where each of these fortnightly meetings were held.

Video conference

Names of who attended each of these fortnightly meetings.

A McReavy, R Hammond (ERCL), A Ross (ERC from 18/9 onwards), Stallan Brand Architects

I trust this information is helpful to you. East Renfrewshire Council offers the opportunity to apply to the Council for a review of how we have dealt with your enquiry.

If you wish to proceed to review, please apply in writing within 40 working days to:

Chief Officer (Legal and Procurement), East Renfrewshire Council, Council Headquarters, Rouken Glen Road, Giffnock, G46 6UG, marking your letter “Freedom of Information, request for review”, and stating the exact nature of the matter you wish to be reviewed.

The review will be carried out within 20 working days of receipt.

If you are dissatisfied with the outcome of the review, you have the right to then appeal to the Scottish Information Commissioner who has extensive powers to investigate such matters. His address is:
Scottish Information Commissioner, Kinburn Castle, St. Andrews, Fife, KY16 9DS.

Yours sincerely
Mark Ratter
Director of Education
East Renfrewshire Council

Mark Ratter, Director of Education, East Renfrewshire Offices, 211 Main St, Barrhead, G78 1SY

Re: Councillors and Eastwood Park Masterplan cross party member and officer working group 3 years, 3 months ago #42

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Andrew Cahill, Director of Environment has produced Report

EASTWOOD LEISURE CENTRE AND EASTWOOD PARK MASTERPLAN

for Eastwood Park Leisure Centre New Build.

You can read further on Full Council website page here -

www.eastrenfrewshire.gov.uk/council-161220

Appendix 1
Stallan-Brand
Date: 18/08/2020
1076.00 Eastwood Leisure Centre and Theatre
RIBA Stage 1: Briefing and Feasibility


You can read the report/appendix 1 here -

www.eastrenfrewshire.gov.uk/media/4421/F...m=637432764415830000


However......................


Councillors, Council Officials and Leisure Trust Board Members must have

extraordinary memory capacity or

mastered the art of TELEPATHY !


All this work has been carried out to produce the report yet

NO RECORDED INFORMATION IS HELD !!

Most of the information BELOW is mentioned in the report yet it is NOT HELD and yet

Councillors, Council Officials and Leisure Trust Board Members

REMEMBERED ALL OF THIS !! for the report.

It is hard to believe.
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