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News Release from: Turner & Townsend | Subject: PPP consultants
Edited by the Buildingtalk Editorial
Team on 15 January 2007
South Ayrshire Council PPP to improve
schools
Turner and Townsend's cost managers and PPP consultants have acted for and advised the Council and consortia throughout South Ayrshire Council's PPP Initiative
South Ayrshire Council's ambitious GBP76 million Public Private Partnership (PPP) Initiative to significantly improve its School Estate is now under way The Project has now reached Financial Close with the Council and the Consortium which will carry out the construction work formally agreeing the commercial, educational, legal and financial elements relating to the proposals
This article was originally published on Buildingtalk on 14 Nov 2006 at 8.00am (UK)
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Turner and Townsend's cost managers and PPP consultants have acted for and advised the Council and consortia throughout the six-year process.
It means the go-ahead has been signalled for construction work to begin on new primary schools at Barassie, Alloway and Monkton, new secondary schools at Belmont and Prestwick and an annexe to Kyle Academy.
The move marks the successful completion of hugely involved preparatory work which has taken six years since the idea of seeking PPP funding was mooted by South Ayrshire Council.
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To acknowledge the occasion an on-site informal ceremony took place, with a first "turf-cutting" involving the Leader of South Ayrshire Council, the Council's Provost, and other senior elected members and officers and representatives of the PPP consortium, named Education for Ayrshire (E4A), including the Chairman for the inaugural year of the consortium, Ken Gill, Director of Cyril Sweett Holdings , and Alan Wilson, Project Director for Carillion Construction.
Said Councillor Gibson T Macdonald, Leader of South Ayrshire Council: "This is a tremendous occasion".
"After six years the project is now signed and sealed".
"It really is an exciting time, seeing the project get under way, and knowing that the Council's school estate will be enhanced by superb new school buildings".
"The Council is facing tough financial times, however, putting the finances in place for the PPP project is a long term investment that will clearly bring benefits to future generations".
"I am also proud of the fact that the concept of seeking PPP funding, and all the consideration and decision-making which has been made by the Council over the past six years relating to the project, have been carried out on a cross-party basis, with unanimous consent of the Council members, regardless of their political persuasion".
"Now that the final agreements have been signed, it is a case of 'full steam ahead' for the building work to begin".
"I offer my sincere congratulations to all concerned with what has already been achieved".
"There is no doubt about it - 2007 is going to be an exciting one for South Ayrshire".
Councillor Douglas Campbell, Labour Group Leader, said: "As Councillor Macdonald has said, the project has been a cross-party one".
"The initial proposals were put forward by the previous Administration, as were recommendations during the formative years when the concept was being developed and funding for the project was being sought".
"I really am delighted that the project is now coming to fruition".
The chairman of the consortium for the inaugural year, Ken Gill, Director of Cyril Sweett Holdings , said: "The consortium has, in partnership with South Ayrshire Council, developed original, flexible, robust proposals that will create an educational legacy of which we can all be proud".
"We are delighted to have reached financial close on this project and are now looking forward to delivering first class facilities for the local communities".
The Convener of the Council's Lifelong Learning Committee, Councillor Pam Paterson, said: "The way is clear now for the building work to begin".
"Parents and pupils can look forward with eager anticipation to the new buildings which feature up-to-the minute designs".
"I am especially delighted that the first steps are now under way here at Prestwick Academy".
Said Provost Winifred Sloan: "The creation of new schools is yet another fine encouragement for Civic Pride - without doubt the people of South Ayrshire can look forward with pride to the construction of what will be state-of-the art schools, with clear indications of plenty of opportunity for community involvement".
It was in December 2001, following a year of research and preparatory work, that the Council submitted an Outline Business Case for a PPP for its schools estate to the Scottish Executive.
The bid had been based on a detailed report from the Council's Department of Education, Culture and Life-Long Learning, and the Financial Services Department which outlined a vision and strategy for the improvement of educational standards and attainments in South Ayrshire Schools.
The report emphasised the need to "reconfigure the school estate" while also focusing on ICT opportunities, and the innovative use of schools and community buildings.
The background to the bid reflected the fact that despite investing almost half of the capital programme in school buildings since the Council's formation in 1996, the capital needs of the Council's schools estate was reckoned to be GBP87 million, and it was believed that even if the Council was to maintain its then level of investment in schools it would take too long to achieve or overtake this figure.
In 2002, the Council learned that it had been successful in its bid.
The then Council Leader, Councillor Andy Hill said at the time: "It really is fantastic news".
"It is tremendous for the people of South Ayrshire".
"It means that we can set the ball rolling to start planning and consulting with the public to bring the standard of our schools up to a level which will match any local authority in the country".
With a clear vision of what was required, the Council set about consulting with parents, teachers and relevant 'stakeholders,' and established a project plan to manage the implementation, involving input from both councillors and officers.
Key factors taken into account included: widespread upgrading work, improved accommodation and increased security .
The proposals contained in the bid documents include plans for the building of new primary schools at Monkton, Barassie and Alloway - following on the Council's existing new-build successes of Dundonald Primary and St Patrick's Primary at Troon.
Confirmed within the business case for the project were proposals for the re-building of secondary schools, Belmont Academy and Prestwick Academy, and for an annexe to Kyle Academy.
A further milestone in the preparations for the PPP initiative took place in December 2005 when unanimous approval was given by the Council to the appointment of a consortium - E4A - with the shareholders being the Bank of Scotland, Carillion Private Finance and Cyril Sweett Holdings, a decision which was later approved by the Scottish Executive.
Since then, further discussions and negotiations have taken place with E4A involving the Council's PPP Team, led by Roddy MacDonald, Head of Project (PPP) and culminating in a "signing session" lasting several hours at which formal contracts were completed for the project.
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