Update on Education and Property projects in Council’s Capital Programme

At yesterday’s meeting of the Housing and Property Committee, Members were updated on the progress and status with the Education and Property projects in the General Fund Capital Programme.

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact on the construction industry with projects facing supply chain issues, additional site measures to ensure health and safety of the workforce, and delays to project timescales.

Chair of the Housing and Property Committee, Cllr Ben Thompson, said: “The combined effect of these factors has resulted in additional costs on projects where site work was suspended, an increase in recent tender levels, and delays to some projects that are at pre-construction stage.

“Today’s report to the Committee highlighted a re-profiled Capital Plan, which takes all these factors into account. Project teams are working hard to ensure all projects are delivered within the approved funding allocations.”

Since the previous meeting of the Housing and Property Committee in March more contracts have been awarded and some projects have been completed. The committee reviewed 235 projects which total circa £260m of investment. 

Work started in May on the new Primary School to serve the housing developments at Ness Castle and Ness-Side in Inverness. The school will have 12 classrooms and nursery accommodation when it opens in August 2022 and is just one of approximately 30 other projects which are ongoing in the Inverness area.

Briefing and initial design work is now underway on all 3 projects included in the Scottish Government’s Learning Estate Investment Programme and the Council’s reprofiled capital programme. The new Tain 3-18 Campus is included in Phase 1 of the programme and is due to open in 2024. Replacement schools for Broadford Primary School and Nairn Academy are included in Phase 2 with both due to be operational from August 2025.

There has also been further progress on the combined Early Learning and Childcare/School Estate Investment Programme, particularly on those nursery projects that are due to be completed by August 2021.

The Highland Council yesterday launched #BuildingOurFutureHighland – a campaign dedicated to keeping the public updated on the progress of works for the re-profiled capital programme’s education, housing, and property projects across the region.