Off the ground

Funding for a new sports surface or facility should always be invested with care and consideration, step by step. Mike Abbott sets out the ten rules to ensure that your project comprehensively fulfils its brief

1 use appropriate professional advice
Depending on the scale of project, there is a large number of specialist advisers who should become involved in different stages of the project, from the production of feasibility studies and funding applications, through to the technical, legal and health and safety disciplines for planning, design and construction. The project team may also need to involve or consult a variety of interested people, such as end-users, club committees, sports governing bodies, local authorities etc, and so the importance of effective communication is paramount.

When selecting professional consultants, it is essential to check that they have relevant experience. Often, a team approach is required to ensure that specific aspects (such as the performance of the playing surface, or the precise design and standard of sports lighting) are covered properly.

The Sports and Play Construction Association (SAPCA)’s Professional Services Group includes independent specialists involved in sports facility projects.

2 investigate the site
A full analysis of the proposed site is vital as this provides the basis on which the facility will be designed. Indeed, a survey might even reveal that the site is inappropriate or that the work would be too costly, leading to the conclusion that the project should not proceed.

For new construction, a site investigation should examine existing records of services and underground workings, as well as its previous history: building on an old tip can be fraught with problems. Trial pits and boreholes can be dug, and other standard tests carried out to determine the loadbearing capacity of the ground, the drainage characteristics, and so on.

It is better to employ an independent consultant to undertake the site investigation rather than to expect each tendering contractor to carry out its own evaluation. In this way, the client can control the quality and consistency of the information, and giving the results to the contractors invited to tender ensures that everyone has the same report. Funding bodies will usually include the cost of the site investigation within the eligible project costs for financial support.

3 get the product right
Apart from any other aspect of the project, the choice of sports surface is complicated, with such a wide variety of products on offer these days. It is important to establish which sports are to be played and to what level, the likely usage pattern, and how the facility will be managed and maintained. The choice may depend to some extent on the available budget, but it is important to consider more than just the initial installation cost. The maintenance and replacement costs should be identified, as well as the longevity of a surface, which together will help to determine the necessary annual sinking fund provision. There is a considerable amount of literature and other advice available, including sport-specific guidance from most governing bodies.

4 have a comprehensive specification
There are two main options: either produce a full specification against which contractors can be invited to tender, or a design and build approach, where contractors are required to provide and price their own design solutions.
A full specification sets out a very detailed description of the construction and may include the individual products used. This has the advantage of making it easier to compare contractors’ proposals on a like-with-like basis. It can also be easier to identify progress, and stage payments against the agreed schedule for the works.

The project specification may need to include specific requirements for the playing performance of a sports surface, such as compliance with the standards of a sport’s governing body. Where there is a formal process of product certification, this might be relied on as an assurance of product quality, or it might be preferable to make provision in the specification for post-installation testing.

5 use an appropriate form of contract
The choice of contract will be dictated by the scale and complexity of the project, from a simple letter of agreement, perhaps with the contractor’s standard conditions, through to the standard forms of contract available, such as those produced by ICE, JCT, and RIBA. The choice might also be affected by the level of inhouse expertise available to the client: this is an area where professional advice should be sought.

Specifications included within the contract should clearly define the scope of works but no more, as they can easily become too complicated. Drawings should be included that correspond with the specification, and set out any necessary dimensions. Contract clauses should be fair to both parties, and the timescales should be reasonable. The pricing summary should be unambiguous.

6 select the right contractor
Use a select list of contractors, such as the membership list of SAPCA, as member companies have been vetted to ensure that they have the necessary experience, financial status and quality of workmanship. It is important to inspect other similar projects that contractors have completed, and to speak to their previous clients about their experiences. Contractors should be interviewed and questioned, as it is important to be satisfied that the people who will be involved will work well together within the project team. Independent consultants will also be able to provide useful guidance from their own experiences.

7 agree a realistic programme
A programme should be prepared for the overall delivery of the project, not just for the construction phase. The initial stages of feasibility, funding and planning may mean that there is a long lead-in time, especially with large projects. The programme will usually be provided by the contractor, though possibly to reflect agreed start/end dates required by the client, such as to take account of when the site is available, or a forthcoming tournament when the new facilities are required.

The installation of most sports surfacing is weather-dependent and so it is prudent to build in slippage for potential delays. It is also helpful to be aware of when the industry is at its busiest, both when agreeing the time for the completion of tenders and when planning for contractors to be available to start work on site.

The contract programme is one of the essential contract documents and should be updated throughout the project. It should be comprehensive but, above all, based on realistic targets. Stage payments will typically be linked to the contract programme, with payments due when agreed project milestones are reached.

8 use appropriate supervision
Whatever the level of professional supervision employed, it is always important for the client to have someone to act as its single point of contact throughout the management of the project, to ensure a consistency of approach and clear channels of communication. Supervision may be inhouse if the client has the relevant expertise; although a funding body may well require stage payments to be signed off by an independent adviser.

Whoever it is, the project supervisor must have adequate understanding of the client’s requirements and knowledge of the products. It should always be remembered that the scope of the works, the budget and the programme are all inextricably linked: changing one will have an effect on one or more of the others.

Within the CDM regulations for health and safety, the client is also responsible for appointing a professionally qualified planning supervisor. At the time of writing, contracts are notifiable under the CDM regulations if the contract period exceeds 30 days or if the number of man days on site exceeds 50. The contractor will be required to produce a health and safety manual and a health and safety plan, for inspection and acceptance by the planning supervisor.

9 comply with the conditions of contract
Conditions of contract are there for the protection of all parties to the contract. Within the contract, the client is committed to make payments at agreed stages, within a certain time period, and so it is their responsibility to ensure that the necessary funding is in place. This means having to co-ordinate the overall financing, including payments from external funding sources. The fact that external finance is anticipated but hasn’t yet been received would not prevent the client from being in breach of contract if payments are not made on time; it is the client, not the funding body, that is usually the party to the contract.

During the contract, all instructions to the contractor should be put in writing, to avoid potential misunderstandings, even if they seem relatively trivial. A simple memo will usually suffice, and may help to prevent confusion later. Communication is undoubtedly better than confrontation. Where there is a dispute, then it is always best to resolve it quickly and amicably, as litigation is an expensive option.

10 maintain the facility to the required standard
There is no such thing as a maintenance-free sports facility, as even the most modern synthetic sports surfaces require some level of attention to keep them in optimum condition and maximise their longevity. The guidelines supplied by the installer should be followed, and SAPCA’s Code of Practice for the Maintenance of Synthetic Sports Surfaces can be downloaded from the Technical Guidance section of the SAPCA website.

Having invested in a new sports facility it is also important to invest in appropriate maintenance equipment and to provide the right training for the ground staff. Usage instructions should also be clearly visible and, in the event of any problems, the installer should be contacted to address the issue as quickly as possible.

Mike Abbott is the SAPCA technical chairman. More information is available at www.sapca.org.uk

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