Clackmannanshire Wellbeing Hub and Lochies School
The council is investing in a new Wellbeing Hub and Lochies School, which will be built at the Alloa West Pavilion site. It will be a location for a new specialist school for unique learners, and a place for the Clackmannanshire community to be physically active, connect with others – and to live well.
Vision
The vision for the Wellbeing Hub and Lochies School is driven by the ambition to deliver an inclusive, accessible and inspiring facility that improves the quality of life for communities across Clackmannanshire. The development aligns with Clackmannanshire Council’s corporate plan ‘Be the Future’ and the Local Outcome Improvement Plan of the Clackmannanshire Alliance, which set out an aspiration to improve the quality of life for every person in Clackmannanshire and identify tackling poverty, inequality and disadvantage, and seeking ‘equal opportunity for all’ as strategic priorities. In 2021/22, the Council approved the budget to provide a significant investment for a Wellbeing Hub within Alloa as part of a wider strategic review of Clackmannanshire’s Leisure and Community Facilities.
The project is currently at what’s called the ‘detailed design phase’ – the RIBA pre-construction & design phase. You can stay updated on our progress to deliver the Wellbeing Hub and Lochies School by checking our Frequently Asked Questions section for the latest information in the form of your most common questions.
Frequently Asked Questions
The council is investing in a new Wellbeing Hub. The optimal facility mix will include a swimming
pool and teaching pool, games hall, fitness suite, climbing wall, café and other sport, physical
activity, and wellbeing spaces. It will be a location for the Clackmannanshire community to be
physically active, connect with others – and to live well.
The Wellbeing Hub and new Lochies School will be located at the Alloa West Pavilion site,
FK10 1TA.
Yes. The plans to relocate Lochies School was agreed in February 2023 by councillors following
a report to the council in October 2022, which set out how the school’s current location, size,
layout, and access are presenting issues to pupils and staff. A formal consultation, as required
under the Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010 took place in late 2022.
The project is moving forward into a detailed design phase with a joint programme created for the Hub and Lochies development. The project is currently going through the RIBA preconstruction & design phase with the process outlined in the table below.
The project is currently completing the RIBA Stage 1 – Preparation & Briefing phase – with a view to procurement a construction framework by the end of June 2023. This will then allow the project to move into RIBA Phase 2 and concept design.
The chosen site offers excellent active travel routes, making it easily accessible to those who
wish to walk or use their bike to get there.
We will make full use of innovative design ideas within the building, and externally too – by
finding ways to help users access the natural surroundings the site offers through its proximity
to the outdoor opportunities in Clackmannanshire, especially given the benefits these spaces
can bring to our collective wellbeing.
Yes. A thorough appraisal of both sites was carried out. The Alloa West, Pavilion site was
chosen as it is a stronger option because it allows for a more inclusive layout and the potential
for future development. It is a positive option for connecting to the active travel network too. It
also allows for a joint development with Lochies School which could not be achieved on the
Leisure Bowl site
The demolition of the Leisure Bowl started in mid April 2023 and is scheduled to be completed
by late May 2023, security will be a priority throughout the works. On completion, the site will be
left with an ash or gravel level surface and will be marketed for future development.
The Operating Model for the Wellbeing Hub is being designed concurrently with the build stages however it is anticipated that the facilities will be accessible during the day to the general public with reasonable restrictions in place to ensure the learning of the Lochies children is not disrupted. The opening hours will expand past the school day and into weekend and school holiday use.
The Project Team is working closely with both internal and external colleagues to look at the
future transport model for the site.
In late 2022 the Council commissioned an Energy and Environmental Performance (EEP) Options Appraisal across both the Wellbeing Hub & Lochies School. The report reviewed 3 potential three EEP options. Sustainability targets are important as they drive the energy targets for the building which in turn drive the approach to building fabric and form, building orientation, materials, heating & cooling strategies and crucially types of energy source.
As a result of the report the Council agreed to implement Passivhaus standard across the whole project as adopting this will achieve the highest energy saving potential and deliver the lowest possible ongoing running costs. Based on benchmarking exercise and considering current building good practice energy targets, it is estimated that by adopting the Passivhaus Standard we could achieve a circa 49% reduction in energy consumption for the Wellbeing Hub.
The Passivhaus Standard will also critically ensure the Wellbeing Hub and Lochies School have a considerably lower impact on the environment to that of a normal swimming pool, leisure centre and school. Ensuring these key buildings are fit for the future and deliver against the Clackmannanshire Council Interim Climate Change Strategy.
The Leisure Bowl played a significant role in the lives of many Clackmannanshire residents. Initially, we planned to develop an interim pool; however projected costs for building and running the pool escalated significantly due to the increase in gas and electricity supplies, material costs, risks to the supply chain and volatile labour markets. Unfortunately, given how external factors had changed, it no longer represented best value, particularly in light of the cost-of-living crisis.
In the meantime, swimming provisions include:
– We are providing a Learn to Swim programme at Dollar Academy’s pool with over 80 children attending weekly.
– Water confidence sessions at Alloa Academy’s hydro pool are also being delivered with over 50 children and young people with additional support needs involved.
– At the start of the summer school term a Primary 5 Water Confidence / Aqua Skills programme started Primary 5 children in all 19 schools including Lochies School will receive 5 weeks of water safety and aquatics skills training from April to June 2023 at Dollar Academy or The Peak, Stirling. In addition, the Primary 5 pupils have been getting water safety sessions in their schools as part of their Physical Education (PE) or classroom activity.
The Clackmannanshire Primary PE team has worked in partnership with Scottish Swimming to create a new national syllabus for training teachers in a water safety module and a basic aquatic skills module, which will be rolled out across the country. The Primary PE team and eight local senior pupils also attended national training with The Swimming Teachers’ Association (STA) on lifeguard skills.
The Clackmannanshire Active Communities Physical Activity Programme details all the latest opportunities for sport and leisure.
https://www.clacks.gov.uk/leisure/documents/July%20Sept%2022%20Flyer%20V5.pdf
Please email us at our dedicated email address: wellbeinghub@clacks.gov.uk
This website, which will be regularly updated
Or via our social media channels, which include:
Facebook: @officialclackmannanshirecouncil
Twitter: @ClacksCouncil
Instagram: @clackmannanshirecouncil
This area of the website will be regularly updated so keep checking back
