Case Study - Wellington
WELLINGTON REAL TENNIS CLUB
Maltby Court, Wellington Real Tennis Club, Dukes Ride, Crowthorne, West Berkshire RG45 7PU
A free-standing Court, with Dedans, Galleries, Professionals’ Office, Club Room and Changing Rooms
Key Dates
- Start of process: Early 2010
- Opening of court: Mid 2016
Key People
- Project Champions:
William Maltby and Peter Luck-Hille (Construction)
- Organising Committee:
- William Maltby, OW; Peter Mallinson, OW and College Governor; James Mallinson, OW
- Peter Luck-Hille – Project Manager: design and construction; Nick Jones – business plan, etc.
- Malcolm Callender, College Estates Bursar; Steve Bosse, College Operations Bursar; Ian Davis, Head of College Enterprises
Design and Construction
- Architect:
Henry J Stribling, Windsor
- Design and Build Contract:
Beard Construction, Guildford
- Floor: Floated reinforced concrete, then ground and polished
- Walls:
Reinforced concrete in one pour (300mm, C40)
- Penthouses: Timber, plywood and Iroko hardwood, supported by inverted steel T section
- Roof: Steel frame, pitched, with no cross beams
- Lighting: 1000 lux at floor level
- Access: Double doors at Hazard end
Cost Summary
- Site Preparation: £150k
- Court Construction and Fitting Out, including Professionals' Office, Club Room, etc: £1000K
- Listed Building Compliance Cost: £150k
- Professionals Fee: £130k
- Sub-Total: £1430k - current cost estimate £1750k
- VAT: £280k
- Total: £1710k
- Debt: No External Debt
Donations
- Top Six Donors: 76%
- Next Twelve: 12%
- T&RA: 8%
- Others (80): 4%
Problems Encountered
- Site Preparation
- Listed Building Compliance
- Construction Cost Inflation
- Design Changes
- Initial problems with walls and floor
- Ventilation: condensation drips onto court when very cold outside
What would you do differently?
- Engage experienced and competent independent consultants rather than contracting on a design and build basis
- Pour the concrete for the walls in 5m sections rather than one 44-lorry effort
Fundamentals in Place
- A well connected and driven individual who drove and championed the project
- A path to a successful fundraising which needed to be under-pinned by a small number of large donors
- An enthusiastic institution (supported at the top level) which remained onside for the duration of the project (six years)
- A suitable site where planning permission was able to be obtained
- A knowledgeable and committed individual who drove the construction of the court and who, de facto, became the client (although technically the college)
- A sound business plan which supported the hiring and retention of a high-quality professional team
Current Status
- Club Membership: 150 including 50 Country members
- Regular Active Players: 50 including about 10 members of staff
- College Student Players: a further 70 boys and girls on average per annum (subsidized by the College)
- Local Schools: Six local schools using the facilities on a regular basis, including four state schools (subsidized by the Dedanists’ Foundation)
Note: For further information, please refer to the MURTC / WRTC Update within the Technical Reports section of the website.
William Maltby/Peter Luck-Hille/RAD, September 2019