WIREDGOV

The nationwide push to rebuild and improve Scotland's schools received another boost recently as the Scottish Government confirmed £80m of funding to build four new low energy schools in Inverclyde.

The Inverclyde Council Schools PPP project will deliver two new primaries and two new secondaries, with around 2,500 pupils set to benefit from the move into state-of-the-art learning facilities.

In the first tie-up of its kind in Scotland, the Carbon Trust has been working alongside Inverclyde Council and the building consortium e4i on ways to minimise the carbon footprint of the four schools. The independent company set up by Government to advise on addressing climate change, worked with the Council through the procurement process and provided a range of technical advice including good use of natural light, improved insulation and high standards of air tightness.

The new low-energy schools are:

• All Saints Primary (replacing St Kenneth's and St Lawrence's primaries)
• Aileymill Primary (replacing Earnhill and Ravenscraig primaries)
• A replacement for Notre Dame High
• A replacement for Greenock Academy and Gourock High (no name as yet for new school)
• The primary schools are expected to open in spring 2010 and the secondary schools in the summer of 2011

Maureen Watt, Minister for Schools and Skills, said:

"This Government is committed to lifting 100,000 school pupils, by 2011, out of tired and crumbling school buildings and classrooms and providing them with cutting-edge accommodation and facilities in which to continue their 21st century education. The commitment to the Inverclyde project is a clear demonstration of this.

"We need to focus on how best school buildings and grounds can inspire and support the educational activity and experience of pupils, staff and the wider community which use them, in order to ensure Scotland has a school estate fit for the delivery of Curriculum for Excellence."

The announcement is not only good news for teachers, parents and pupils but also for the local economy which is expected to benefit from the building work.

Two Scottish businesses - Miller e4i Investments Ltd and FES - are part of the consortium working to deliver the project, which has a capital value of #85.3 million. The other companies are Cyril Sweett Investment Limited and Partnership and Land Securities Trillium.

Phil McVey, the director of e4i, said:

"We are delighted that financial close has been reached, and that work on delivering these modern, state-of-the-art educational facilities to Inverclyde can begin immediately.

"The consortium and Inverclyde Council have worked hard to ensure that these innovative new buildings are in line with the Scottish Government's commitments to meeting environmental targets and providing modern facilities for today's pupils. We look forward to making a valuable contribution to the local community and the Scottish economy."

The involvement of the Carbon Trust to ensure the schools are low energy will go towards helping meet the Scottish Government's commitment to reduce emissions by 80 per cent by 2050.

John Stocks, the manager of Carbon Trust in Scotland, said:

"I'd like to congratulate Inverclyde Council on completing the agreement with e4i to provide four new low energy schools. They have been an enthusiastic client keen to capitalise on the assistance the Carbon Trust in Scotland provides and, as a result, have secured schools that are expected to have a carbon footprint that is 30 per cent lower than conventional schools."

Councillor Stephen McCabe, leader of Inverclyde Council, said:

"I am delighted that the next step has been taken on the road to four new schools for Inverclyde, provided by this major PPP programme. This Council is committed to investing in schools, because our children deserve to be educated in modern, state-of-the-art buildings that are fit for the 21st century. The PPP programme will make this a reality for many of our pupils and I look forward to further progression on this significant, multi-million pound investment programme for Inverclyde."

The Minister for Schools and Skills also stressed that school renovation and rebuilding projects across the country are a Government priority with more than £2 billion of committed investment in Scotland's schools at present.

She said:

"The next steps are to finalise our longer-term strategy to ensure a modern, quality learning environment for Scotland's pupils and to develop the role of the new Scottish Futures Trust. Working with local government, we will ensure schools will be learning environments which will enable the delivery of Curriculum for Excellence, providing opportunities for our young people to thrive during their school years."

The Scottish Government has made almost £3 billion - an increase of £115 million in each of the three years of the spending review period - available over three years to secure investment in infrastructure, including schools.

Two hundred and fifty schools are expected to be built, funded or under construction through various funding mechanisms during the lifetime of this parliament.

The Carbon Trust is an independent company set up by government in response to the threat of climate change, to accelerate the move to a low carbon economy by working with organisations to reduce carbon emissions and develop commercial low carbon technologies. The Carbon Trust works with UK business and the public sector through its work in five complementary areas: insights, solutions, innovations, enterprises and investments. Together these help to explain, deliver, develop, create and finance low carbon enterprise.

Related Information

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Education/Schools/Buildings