Education Committee Oversees Huge Investment Programme
9th August 2011
Councillor Bill Fernie, chairman of the Education, Culture and Sport Committee of Highland council said following the meeting of the committee on 9th August 2011 that he was pleased that many plans were now coming together across the Highlands. He said, "For some time there has been a steady build up of work and as can be seen in the Capital report presented to the committee for approval many projects long awaited by communites and schools are now progressing well".
Councillor Fernie continued,"The programme approved today fulfils many of the aspirations of communities across Highland but it also acts as a huge driver in local economies across Highland providing much needed work for firms and contractors"
Councillor Fernie continued, "This past year has been one of the busiest for work I have seen but we still have much to do and as can be seen from our programme of works we are determined to keep pushing ahead to make huge improvements right across Highland. I have to thank our staff for all the hard work they have done and continue to do in a time of constraint in spending due to reduced revenue budgets, changes in staff levels and they have done a very effective job and continue to do so"
"We still have much to do to make improvements in many of our schools and we are still looking at how we can be more efficient right across the whole of ECS. If we can be more efficient then we can continue to make major advances in improving more of our facilities. Today we took another step forward regarding the legal issues of forming a n arms length company to be called Highland High Life and this will save us around £1 million each year in running costs principally from rates. By such measure I think we can alleviate many aspects of a reduced budget. The administration has disucssed in depth many of the measures we are taking and now we are seeing them roll out."
The ECS committee approved reports on the previous years expenditure and future projects as follows -
For more details see the appendix on Highland Council web site.
2011 - 12
Progress with the major projects within the current approved Capital programme. This is a particularly active period which can be summarised thus:
• 4 new Primary School buildings will be completed during the next 15 months at a
total cost of £31,400,000.
• Significant remedial works and/or extensions will be carried out at 3 Primary
Schools during the course of this financial year.
• Design work has commenced on the 2 new amalgamated Primary Schools to be built in Fort William and Caol during the next 2 to 4 years.
• Extensions to 2 Secondary Schools will be progressed and completed within 20
months.
• The redevelopment of Lochaber High School will continue with work on site due to
commence during 2013.
• The initial design brief for the new Wick High School project has been signed off
following extensive consultation with local stakeholders.
• The new school residence at Ullapool High School will be available from October
2011.
3.3 The new Milton of Leys Primary School was handed over to the Council on the 11th July, on time and within budget. The management of this project and the quality
and design of the finished school is a credit to all involved and this is a good
example of partnership working at its best.
Appendix 4 provides details of the proposed priority projects to be funded from
the Lifecycle Investment projects over the next 2 to 3 financial years. The level of
funding available from this budget heading in financial year 2011/12 is £0.300M
with £3.0M in each of the 2 following financial years.
4.2 The Lifecycle Investment budget heading is the consolidation of a number of
generic budget headings including - Major Fabric Improvement, Health & Safety,
Fire Safety and Playing Fields.
It is recommended that the refurbishment and extension of Cromarty Primary
School is one of the projects prioritised for inclusion in the Life Cycle Investment
programme from 2012/13 onwards. This project was approved as a priority for
future development by the ECS Committee on 11 August 2005. It was
subsequently included in the revised capital programme approved by the ECS
Committee on 7 August 2008 as a "below the affordability line" project and
identified as the main priority for consideration beyond 2011/12
Member approval is sought to progress feasibility studies for the works as listed
(Cromarty Primary School; Golspie High School; Portree Pupil Residences; Tain
Royal Academy and Thurso High School). Approval is also sought to update
previous feasibility studies carried out on Beauly Primary School and Inverness
High School in order to help determine priorities from 2013/14 onwards.
Following consultation with pupils, staff, parents and community members in both
Maryburgh and Conon Bridge re a suitable name for the new amalgamated
Primary School the suggestions were collated and the 4 most popular names were
voted on by all pupils in both schools. The most popular name was the "Ben Wyvis
Primary School" and it is therefore proposed that this be the name of the new
school which will be available from August 2012.
The new Wick High School
6.1 The proposed funding mechanism for the above project has been altered at the
request of the Scottish Government. The implications of this change, including the
requirement to enter into partnership with Hub North Scotland Limited (a
framework structure specifically established to ensure best value for public sector
construction projects)
Community and Leisure Facilities
Leisure Facilities 1,803,000
Kilchuimen Multi Use Games Area 3,000
Inverness Leisure Facility - Landlord responsibilities 115,000
Fraser Park 189,000
Golspie Leisure 5,000
Dornoch Sports Facility 164,000
Highland Folk Museum (Car Park) 7,000
Culduthul Park 19,000
Slackbuie Facilities 11,000
Highland Archive and Registration Centre 177,000
Pultneytown People Project,Wick 348,000
Ullaspool Project - Swimming Pool Roof 50
EDUCATION
Secondary Schools Programme
Nairn Academy - Extension (Modular) 57,000
Plockton High Extension 2,089,000
Grantown Academy - Extension (Modular) 68,000
Wick High - Toilets 11,000
Technical Room Dust Extraction Rolling Programme 13,000
Telephone exchange replacements - Grantown & Kingussie 177,000
Kingussie High - Rail Footbridge 189,000
Major Projects
Lochaber High School Refurbishment, Phase 1,330,000
Lochaber High School Refurbishment, Phase 2 104,000
Lochaber High School Refurbishment, Phase 3 350,000
Mallaig Hostel 30,000
Ullapool High - Pupil Residence 645,000
Primary Schools Programme
Aviemore Primary Replacement 7,466,000
Acharacle Primary Replacement 117,000
Conon Bridge/Maryburgh Primary 4,250,000
Farr Primary (Inverness) - Extension 161,000
Kilchuimen Primary Extension 1,000
Lochaline Primary School - replacement 2,021,000
Roy Bridge 5,000
Greater Fort William Primary Rationalisation 1,156,000
Milton Primary School Refurbishment - Kildary 16,000
Milton of Leys P S - new school 2,346,000
Asset Management
Estate Strategy - Roll Pressures 461,000
Estate Strategy - Primary and Secondary - Lifecycle Investment 300,000
ASN & Early Years Improvement/adaptations 272,000
Synthetic Turf Pitch Enhancement 116,000
Grass Pitch Condition and improvement 68,000
Health and Safety 257,000
Office Accommodation 112,000
Fire Safety 296,000
Major Fabric Improvement Projects 2,027,000
Retentions (Various) 30,000
Black Isle Education Centre Replacement (temp gym) 3,000
Former Achintore School 83,000
Sustainable School Estate Review - Primary - Project A 369,000
Sustainable School Estate Review - Secondary - Project A 100,000
Thermostatic Mixing Valves 99,000
Catering Facility Improvements 573,000
Spend to Save
Wick High (new school) 1,515,000
Black Isle Education Centre Replacement OBC 22,000
Inverness Primaries - Extensions (Holm; Lochardil; Smithton) - Phase 1,884,000
Highland Museum Store 330,000
Kingussie High - Extension 246,000
Inverness Royal Academy 30,000
Miscellaneous Projects
Glenurquhart PS (Gaelic Unit) 230,000
STATUS OF MAJOR PROJECTS - 28 JULY 2011
Milton of Leys Primary - New School School building handed over. June 2010
Lochaber Leisure Centre -
Refurbishment
On site. September 2010
Ullapool Hostel - New Build On site. March 2011
Holm Primary - Childcare Unit Design in progress. October 2011
Lochardil Primary - Classroom Units
Design in progress; enabling works to be carried out during summer
holidays.
October 2011
Plockton High - Extension On site. April 2011
Aldourie Primary - Refurbishment On site. July 2011
Aviemore Primary - New School On site. April 2011
Lochaline Primary - New School On site. April 2011
Conon Bridge/Maryburgh - New Primary School
Contract awarded. August 2011
Kingussie High - Extension Design in progress. June 2012
Fort William/Upper Achintore - New Primary School
Design in progress. September 2012
Highland Museum Store Design in progress. September 2012
Wick High - New School Procurement of consultants in progress. September 2012
Lochaber High Phase 3 Procurement of consultants in progress. June 2013
Caol/Fort William RC/Lochyside RC -
New Joint Campus
Brief and programme to be confirmed. 2013/14
Black Isle Education Centre -
Replacement
Feasibility study in progress; programme to be confirmed. 2014/15
Fort William Gaelic Primary Brief and programme to be confirmed. 2016/17
Inverness Royal Academy Feasibility study in progress; programme to be confirmed - may be phased. 2014/15
PROJECTS UNDER CONSIDERATION FOR 2012/13 ONWARDS
Cromarty Primary -
Extension/Refurbishment
Condition/suitability issue; previous
commitment
Replacement of outbuildings; refurbishment of
main building and provision of additional
Overall condition rating - C; overall suitability rating
D; total cost to be determined
2 Golspie High - Re-Roofing/Other Works Building fabric issue
Replacement of roof coverings and various other works
Condition survey has identified £1,200,000 worth of immediate works
3 Portree Pupil Residences
Health and safety issues/statutory compliance.
Extent of work to be determined. Total cost to be determined
4 Tain Royal Academy - Refurbishment of
Home Economics Classrooms
Condition/suitability issue Full refurbishment Total cost to be determined
5
Thurso High - Extension Block Entrance Area
Condition/suitability issue; legacy project Completion of refurbishment of extension block building
Total cost estimated at £250,000
6 Fire Safety
Health and safety issues/statutory compliance
Budget of £750,000 for 2012/13
Known priorities at Dornoch Academy and Golspie
High; allocate balance on a needs basis
7 Health and Safety
Health and safety issues/school security/statutory compliance
Budget of £150,000 for 2012/13 Allocate on a needs basis
8 ICT Condition/suitability issue Budget of £100,000 for 2012/13 Allocate on a needs basis
9 Playing Fields Condition/suitability issue Budget of £100,000 for 2012/13 Allocate on a needs basis
PROJECTS UNDER CONSIDERATION FOR FUTURE YEARS
10 Beauly Primary - Review of Accommodation
Condition/suitability issue
Update feasibility study to determine the extent of work required and appraise options
Overall condition rating - C; overall suitability rating D
11 Inverness High - External Fabric Building fabric issue
Update previous feasibility study to determine cost of work required
Grade B listed main building built in 1930's; original windows.
