Orne Council - Alain Lambert’s Blog

Improving disability access at Sées College - part of a project for the whole  county

The County Council owns 31 state colleges in the Orne. It looks after their constructions, upkeep, running costs and renovation, as well as equipment and furnishings. Its objective is to provide the best learning environment possible to young adults.

1M€ extra financing for colleges

As part of the economic recovery plan, the county has voted an extra 10 million euros for use on important projects, of which 1 million has been set aside for colleges. It will enable establishments to start works from this year at: Sévigné in Flers, René Cassin in Athis-de-l’Orne, A. Collet in Moulins-la-Marche, J. Racine in Alençon and to ensure disability access at  A. Hée Fergant College in Vimoutiers.

Improvements at NJ Conté College in Sées

Before work was started, the council commissioned an inventory from cabinet Accesmétrie, who  found 67 critical obstacles (obstacles to autonomous access by people of reduced mobility and/or with a visual or hearing impairment)

The main work consisted of:

• fitting of two elevators for the residential- and day-buildings
• moving the infirmary to the ground-floor so it was accessible by disabled people
• putting in an access ramp to the dining hall
• putting in an access ramp to the administration department
• re-fitting of teaching and administration staff toilet facilities to accommodate disabled employees
• improving the visibility of walkways, installing tactile paving and stair edging, banisters and railings and replacing doors which where too narrow for wheelchairs

Work was started in October 2007 and was finished on the 15th February 2009. The total cost was 530,000 euros including taxes.

Architect : Monsieur Philippe CHALLES, and sub-contracter Cabinet FOURNIGAULT
Statutory implementation : APAVE
Health and Safety Coordination : entreprise BECS

7 batches of works :

• lot 1 :  building work - Entreprise Tomasi
• lot 2a : painting - Entreprise Gagneux Décors
• lot 2b : partitioning -  Entreprise Lechat
• lot 2c : flooring - Entreprise Tomasi
• lot 3 a : interior carpentry - Entreprise Mottier / Menuiserie Risloise
• lot 3 b : exterior carpentry- Entreprise SPBM
• lot 3 c : cladding - Entreprise GONDOUIN
• lot 4 : metalwork - Entreprise R2C
• lot 5 : heating/plumbing - Sanichauffage
• lot 6 : electrics - entreprise STEN
• lot 7 : elevator - entreprise ABH

A project for all the colleges in the  county

Several objectives have been met by the plan put in place by the Council:

• Making establishments accessible to all;

• Increasing energy efficiency, which responds to objectives relating to Grenelle de l’environnement (the Environment Round Table)
  

- reducing energy consumption by 40% (electricity, fuel, gas)

- reducing water consumption by 50%

- reducing carbon emissions by 50%;

• Improving the way the establishments function in responding to educational needs and adapting to changes in their intake.

The estimated cost of these works is 100 million euros, to be carried out over the next 10 years.

Work on disabled access at A Hée Fergant College in Vimoutiers should be finished by September 2009. At the end of this year, restructuring projects will get underway at Sévigné in Flers and René Cassin in Athis-de-l’Orne, with accessibility work starting in September. Feasability studies are currently being carried out at Jean Racine College in Alençon and A. Collet in Moulins-la-Marche.