Complex admin putting Alness deadline at risk

THERE are serious concerns that a new Alness Academy could be delayed because of an over-complicated administration of the project.

And Highland Council still does not know the final cost.

Council leader Margaret Davidson this week summed up in a sentence what many colleagues, parents and teachers feel about the process, describing it as “disappointing, predictable and extremely tedious”.

The construction project is a joint enterprise also involving the Scottish Government, a company it owns called the Scottish Futures Trust (SFT) and the “public-private partnership” Hub North Scotland Ltd which oversaw the delay-hit Wick school and community campus project.

Addressing the resources committee in Inverness, the council’s finance director Derek Yule attempted to unravel a complex situation involving pre-construction works, signing of contracts and the potentially costly onus on the council if anything goes wrong. He said: “It’s a process I don’t feel terribly happy with. The council has still not finalised the overall project cost for Alness Academy. There have been delays, initially about the specification but latterly Hub have been having difficulty getting pricing in for work packages as part of the overall contract.

“They have to finalise the cost of the project which the council should agree upon before contracts are signed. The difficulty the council faces is that a condition of Scottish Government funding was completion by March 2020 and the latest date I have is April 10, 2020 for completion of the school.”

He sought and secured councillors’ approval for a further course of advance works to keep the contractor on-site – in order to keep the project on track.

Cllr Davidson said: “The risk is all sitting with the council and we’re having to accept this. I’m extremely disappointed.”

She said: “There is something fundamentally wrong with this whole system. The Scottish Government hated PPP [public-private partnership in school building] and, God knows, it was expensive. SFT and Hub and the way we’re required to work with them is extraordinarily complex, time-consuming and prone to this sort of thing happening on a regular basis.

“We’d do far better simplifying the system of how we support capital projects within local authorities. To me, the best way is more subsidised capital so we can just get on with the job.”

A Scottish Futures Trust (SFT) spokesperson said: “SFT is supporting all stakeholders who are committed to delivering an outstanding building that meets the needs of pupils, teachers and the wider community today and in the future.”

Hub North was contacted for comment but had not responded as we went to press.

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