The Neuadd Dyfi Community Annexe and sustainable heating system Statement of Justification

 

 

What is the project?

 

Our objective is to undertake phase 2 of revitalising our community building “the Neuadd Dyfi”.  Phase 1 was the initial work done in 2000/1. In this we raised about £350,000 which was used to refurbish the existing hall, install a sprung maple floor and build an annexe with kitchen, toilets and meeting room. Though outside the scope of this business plan there is an intention, sometime in the future, to undertake phase 3( refurbishment of the stage area) and phase 4 ( changing the layout of the main hall)

 

Phase 2 will involve building work and installation of certain equipment which will allow better and more activities to take place.

 

Put simply our projects overall aim is :- Our overall aim is: - to enhance the Neuadd Dyfi and build additional facilities that will enable more and better activities. This will enable more people to enrich their lives. The activities will both improve community life and provide a boost to the important tourist sector of our local economy. We will reduce our buildings carbon footprint and increase and improve its cash flow thus improving its sustainability.

 

 

Firstly we wish to respond to the aspirations of the "Gwynedd Health, Social Care and Well-being Strategy 2005/2008" by developing the facilities and activities in our community hall so that it play its part in achieving the Strategies objectives. Secondly it will be to respond to the world wide “Climate change challenge” by addressing the “carbon footprint” of our community halls operation both in a practical and educative way. Thirdly we want to develop and improve the facilities for the broad based use of our community. These activities such as performing arts, conferences and exhibitions would contribute as a boost to the local tourist economy.

 

We hope to:-

 

Build a community annexe at the rear of the Neuadd Dyfi which will incorporate a doctors surgery (linked to larger surgery in Tywyn 4 miles away one doctor 5 mornings a week) , police community post. This will include multi function rooms for community activities such as keep fit. meetings, exhibitions, drama, dance, art training, Women’s Institute, Youth Club, choral singing ,changing space for performers, workshop and storage space.  Also we wish to install an environmentally sustainable heating and power system for the whole hall that will significantly reduce the carbon footprint of our operations and present a model for other community buildings.

Proposed annexe

 

Though outside the scope of this current business plan there are long term intentions to refurbish the stage and modify main hall areas.

 

Why is the project needed?

 

There are three main sections to phase 2 of our project.

 

Section

Summary of Need

1.     Provision of a doctors surgery

 

 

The current surgery is non compliant with disability act, very poorly equipped and in poor state of repair. No alternative venue exists. The assistant Director of primary care recognises the doctors commitment to the Branch surgery and acknowledges that there are enough people living in Aberdyfi to warrant it

2.     Installation of an efficient environmentally friendly heating system for the existing hall and proposed annexe

Current system expensive to run and inefficient. It produces an uncomfortable heat Current system produces a large carbon footprint. There is a local, national and inter national need to reduce this.

3.     The building of a community annexe to meet current and anticipated future needs.

 

For community drama productions the current dressing room facilities are woefully inadequate and raise child protection issues.

There are two meeting room spaces one sitting 400 the other just 15 both are inadequate for groups of 30 to 50. During several weeks of the year one user group makes a block booking of the main hall thereby denying other users access to the facilities.  The youth club loses access for a couple of weeks during the pantomime.

 

Overall Aim

Intended Outputs

Activities

Better primary health provision for the community of Aberdyfi

·       More people attending the Aberdyfi clinic rather than travelling to Tywyn.

·       Prevent the loss of a surgery completely as currently there is no alternative venue

·       Build NHS Doctors branch surgery.

·       Publicise and promote the use of the local facility

 

 

 

 

 

 

Overall Aim

Intended Outputs

Activities

Make a local contribution to addressing global climate change issues.

·       Reduced carbon footprint of the Neuadd Dyfi’s operation.

·       Reduced fuel bills

·        A more informed community

Install various green energy systems namely.

·       Ground Source Heat Pumps

·       Photo Voltaic Cells for Micro generation of electrical power

·       Install Solar thermal systems for heating water

·       Install display systems so that

 

Overall Aim

Intended Outputs

Activities

Improved  Health and Wellbeing status of Aberdyfi’s inhabitants

·       A greater sense of community

·       Increased confidence through active participation in the arts

·       All age groups having access to cultural, social and physical activities.

·       Create the physical space for participative activities to take place.

·       Promote the new and improved facilities to encourage new user groups

·       Recruit and train more volunteers to take an active role in both the management of the Neuadd Dyfi and provision of activities within  it.

 

Our plans for the Neuadd Dyfi are not being produced in isolation but in response to well defined needs. We wish to respond to the Climate change challenge and the Well-being Strategy to produce a community hall “fit for Purpose"

 

Notes

The doctors surgery

Extract of letter of support

“ We  appreciate the work you are doing to try and secure a suitable site for a branch surgery behind the Neuadd Dyfi in Aberdyfi. Our current site does not comply with the disability discrimination Act, and has several faults such as dampness causing a smell, there is a general dark and gloomy atmosphere, the toilet facilities are not adequate and the toilet facilities are inadequate. There is mouldy plaster on the walls and rotting window frames and masonry. The doctors room has no hand wash facilities . In essence it is felt that the current premises are not appropriate for the purposes of medical consultations.”

 

The Doctors see approximately 10 patients per surgery sometimes less sometimes more.  As the conditions in the surgery are unappealing they believe this does put some patients off visiting but it would be difficult to put a figure on these.  The access i.e. steps up to the surgery, means some patients are unable to visit and have to go to Tywyn Surgery, again it is difficult to put a figure on this, but they know this happens. No alternative venue exists. The assistant Director of primary care recognises the doctors commitment to the Branch surgery and acknowledges that there are enough people living in Aberdyfi to warrant it

 

 

 The heating system

 Issues with current heating system

 

The heating system for the existing hall is inadequate and wasteful of energy.

 

  • The main hall is heated by 14 3kw Quartz heaters. These were installed about 15 years ago. They were probably a good choice at the time but are nearing the end of their useful life. The annexe has very cheap electric heaters which are expensive to run and very fiddly to use.
  • Ventilation system. This was installed during the rebuild in 2000. It was not thought through sufficiently well at the time and was well over budget. It was designed around the requirement of up to six air changes per hour needed for a full auditorium. To keep the cost down at the time the control systems were kept to a minimum. At time of installation there were great problems with the noise levels. This has been improved by rerouting and use of silencer pods.

 

  • Daily the importance of addressing climate change issues at an international, national and local level is emphasised in the media and the press

For

Against

The quartz heaters produce  quick heat

The quartz heaters “fry” those close to them and leave cold spots

The heaters are silent(except when cooling as they click)

The red light is very aesthetically unattractive

 

They use about 42 kilowatts of power

 

The tubes are very expensive and need regular replacement

 

The heaters need to be manually turned on and off to produce a balanced heat

 

The fabric of the building is not heated

 

There are large volumes of trapped cold air above the suspended ceiling which “fall out” when the hall begins to warm up. These have a chilling effect.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ventilation system.

Positive

Negative

Achieves a large volume of air exchange

Difficult to operate. Relies on guess work to set it at right level

 

At medium level the motors create unwanted noise

 

The air inlet over the stage funnels large volumes of unwanted noise into the stage, in particular that of passing rail engines

 

 

The annexe

 

For community drama productions the current changing rooms in the hall both in both size and layout are inadequate, are very small and are difficult to manage. This raises child protection issues. There is just a small meeting room plus corridor rooms and a shed. This is totally inadequate for up to 40 young children and 25 adults. We hire in a portacabin but this is still far from ideal, especially in winter, as they have to go outside. Though the children are monitored by professionally qualified volunteers the situation raises numerous child protection issues. Being crammed into cramped and poorly laid out space can seriously mar the whole experience producing, in some, a  negative outcome.