| The City Council said the Private and Public Partnership scheme is ready to advance to construction, although the programme has been revised, with completion dates later than previous targets.
Six new primary schools, a Roman Catholic secondary, to replace Lawside Academy and St Saviour’s High, and a replacement for Grove Academy will be provided.
The council and the Diocese of Dunkeld have agreed the denominational primary (replacing St Columba’s and St Margaret’s) will be called St Andrew’s RC Primary.
The denominational secondary to replace Lawside and St Saviour’s will be called St Paul’s RC Academy.
Education Convener, Councillor Kevin Keenan, said, “I am absolutely delighted we have now reached the construction stage.
“There are many contractual issues to be considered in a project of this size and scope, and we have had to work extremely hard to ensure all the financial and legal details were dealt with absolutely correctly.
“This has taken time, but we are extremely confident it will mean high quality schools across the city which will transform the learning and teaching environment for pupils and staff.
“The council is embarking on the single biggest investment in education in our lifetime and we had a duty to ensure everything was in place before the project proceeded.”
Councillor Keenan added, “This project signals our intention to provide first-class facilities for the future.”
The RC Bishop of Dunkeld, the Rt. Rev. Vincent Logan, said the names for the new schools had been chosen after consultation.
He added, “We saw just last week, with the official re-opening of St John’s High following a £12.5 million refurbishment, what can be achieved through the PPP project.
“I am delighted we are finally at the stage where a start to construction is in sight.
“I am sure these new schools will provide our children with an environment eminently suitable for a 21st century education.”
The Discovery Education Consortium has been appointed to carry out the project.
It is led by Robertson Capital Projects Ltd and is a joint venture between Robertson Capital Projects Ltd and Sir Robert McAlpine PFI Ltd.
Concerns had been expressed by parents at the lack of progress with the project and the council has acknowledged that the process has taken longer than expected.
The original target date for occupation of the first four primary schools was to have been the start of the 2007/08 session in August.
The start date for Craigowl PS, Claypotts Castle PS, Downfield PS and St Andrews RC PS is March 2007, with a planned completion date of April 2008.
Grove Academy will be started in April 2007, as will St Paul’s RC Academy, with completion dates of October 2009 and November 2008 respectively.
The start and finish dates for Fintry PS are February 2008 and March 2009; and for Rowantree PS March 2008 and April 2009.
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