To receive an update from the City Surveyor.
Minutes:
The City Surveyor presented an update on the Riverside Leisure Centre and detailed all of the works that had been carried out since the fire on 21 February 2017. The response and subsequent action by the City Council was immediate and included the appointment of a multidisciplinary project manager from Faithful + Gould who had been leading a team of experts to bring the facility back into use as soon as possible.
Although the non-fire damaged parts of the facility had been reopened, the pools and health suite remain closed. The location, nature and duration of the fire had raised concerns over the integrity of the main roof structure in the pool and health suite area and the decking/covering above due to the effects of prolonged heat on the metal structure. Some demolition works were completed on schedule at the end of June to enable the area to be pre-inspected for access arrangements to the underside of the roof. The testing and structural assessment of the roof deck, support steels and the structural frame have also been undertaken within the health suite areas, and the detail of the draft findings was presented to Members. Scaffold will be required to the full width of the building at the health suite end with further roof enclosure to prevent water ingress during the course of the works. This scaffold was likely to intrude into the pool area and the project manager would continue to explore options for opening the pool earlier in the overall programme. Faithful + Gould had been programmed to report on the finalised structural report and further outcomes of the roof deck inspection and sample cleaning which were due at the beginning of October. This would determine the extent and likely timescale of the remedial works required to repair the roof structure over the fire area and the ability to satisfactorily clean the remainder of the internal structure and deck. Faithful + Gould were currently programmed to complete the scope of works and cost estimates for insurance approval by early October with full specification being completed in mid-October. Every effort would be made to expedite the works as quickly as possible but the current worst case scenario for completion of all reinstatement works was September 2018. The City Surveyor acknowledged that the proposed options may increase the risk of incurring additional costs and these costs may not be funded by the Council’s Insurer. In this case, separate funding requests would be made in liaison with the Portfolio Holder for Health and Well Being, Communities and Sport.
The City Surveyor responded to a Member’s comment about placing solar panels on the roof when the works were complete. He also responded to questions on the risks associated with the reinstatement works and that all had been done that could have been done to expedite the reopening of the pool. The work was being carried out and dealt with properly.
The Portfolio Holder for Health and Well Being, Communities and Sport confirmed that he would ensure that the information given this evening was made available to Members to share with their residents.