Case Study: Karbon Homes Playground Review

Elvet Construction Consultants were appointed by Karbon Homes to undertake an assessment of their Playground and Multi Use Games Area (MUGA) assets across Northumberland, to determine their current condition and establish an estimated level of investment they would need to maintain these assets over the next 30 years.

As part of this assignment, Elvet’s Surveyors appraised the equipment, surface coverings, boundary treatments and associated sundry items on site. This included an assessments of an assets overall condition, in terms of structural rigidity, missing or damaged connections, fittings, links or covers, excessive movement, graffiti, arson or other signs of vandalism, functionality and performance, proximity, location, decoration and signs of general wear and tear.

This enabled Elvet to provide a full overview of the assets and determine the need for immediate repairs, that should be considered by Karbon Homes to ensure longevity of assets in the short term, before establishing the long-term needs through a RAG (Red/Amber/Green) assessment.

The 30-year investment plan produced by Elvet, included the identification of equipment to determine the expected residual life, accounting for both the condition and installation date. Expected cost projections were produced from an assessment of wholesale replacement, good practice maintenance and the need for decoration or repair. This expenditure was then projected across the 30-year investment plan to determine the cost per year for each asset.

Further assessment of this information allowed Elvet to deduce the costliest assets for Karbon Homes to maintain and to determine the key investment years for the client. Elvet provided further recommendations for the client to consider as they carried the plan forward, for instance the necessity of repair to prevent the need for early replacement, when to consider wholesale replacement over that continued repair, social over financial cost/benefit considerations and more.