Louth Village Community Centre– Floor Damage Repair and Improvement Works

Tender description

Background The Louth Village Community Centre was built 40 years ago in the 1980’s. In 2018, the Louth Village Community Centre Committee (LVCC) secured the support of Louth Leader Partnership to carry out essential upgrade and improvement works to the Community Centre. These works were completed in December 2018. The official opening and formal launch as the Louth Village Community Hub was carried out on the 10th March 2019. The Louth Village Community Centre is a key resource and social inclusion support for the community of Louth Village and adjacent area. It is used by a wide cohort and range of people including the following: • The Centre hosts girls guides, dancing, art classes, Tae Kwando and sports classes • Is the host venue for the Louth Village Youth Club • Has hosted Teddy Bear events for young children • It hosts indoor bowls event • Hosts regular meetings of older members of the community • Hosts after school homework clubs (for students at the local and adjacent St Mochta’s National School) • Hosts events such as parties, celebrations, funeral gatherings etc. Problem Statement Repair works to the floor and kitchen areas were carried out in March 2021 in response to a leak in the Louth Village Community Centre /Hub. An Independent Assessment (carried out on the 11th July 2023) of the Louth Village Community Centre /Hub floor has noted the following: The suspended timber floor, which had earlier suffered from decay and escape of water, was examined. This decay and high moisture content extends to much of the floor area, with lack of ventilation to the sub-floor area a major contributary cause. Complete replacement of the floor will be necessary. The extent of the repair works which are now necessary was not properly understood in March 2021, i.e. the extent was underestimated in terms of scope and cost. There is good reasoning for this in that the contributory causes of a lack of ventilation coupled with the presence of water below the floor which occurred during the Covid closure were not observed or apparent in March 2021. These issues have only manifested themselves over the course of time. Meantime, the Louth Village Community Centre Hall/Hub is not safe for use and remains closed to the various groups and users of the hall.