Alan Bauer, Executive Officer – Assets & Facilities
Publication:
This Technical Note will be published on the Council’s website following circulation to Members. Its contents may be disclosed or shared outwith the Council.
Section
The purpose of this technical note is to provide Elected Members with further information on the Council’s previously unsuccessful bid for grant funding from the Scottish Government’s Learning Estate Investment Programme (LEIP) and to provide an update on recent discussions with the Scottish Futures Trust on the next phase of LEIP Funding and implications for future major investment projects.
The Learning Estate Investment Programme is funded by the Scottish Government and aims to support improvement to the condition of the school estate, the delivery of wider Scottish Government Policy objectives and sustainable estate planning. The Scottish Futures Trust administers the fund. The fund launched in 2019 and most recently funded 37 projects through its second round in December 2020.
The Revised 10 Year Capital Investment Plan 2021 – 2031 (report ref: PNCA-20-21-AB, approved February 2021) advised Council that a bid for funding through the second phase of the Learning Estate Investment Programme, for both the Additional Support Needs School, Kirkintilloch and Boclair Academy was unsuccessful. At the time of the funding application, each of the projects were well progressed through their design phase and progressing towards tender via their appointed main contractors.
A key funding criteria for LEIP projects is energy performance, measured against an energy target of 67/kWh/sqm/annum for core facilities in the building. Projects at ASN and Boclair are not anticipated to meet this requirement and this ultimately resulted in the application funding being unsuccessful. Introducing this requirement to each project at their respective stages at the time would have resulted in significant re-design, requiring additional capital and revenue investment (through higher electricity costs) and would have significantly delayed the finalisation of the pre-construction stages and ultimately delayed the start to the construction stage for each project.
The recently approved report on the proposed refurbishments of Milngavie, Bearsden and Westerton Primary Schools and the new-build replacement of Balmuildy Primary School (report ref: PNCA-070-21-AB) noted that LEIP eligibility, in particular achieving the energy performance target of 67/kWh/sqm/annum, would be included as a key part of the project scope for each. Similarly, the on-going feasibility review into the replacement of Lenzie Academy (report ref: PNCA-20-21-AB, approved February 2021) will also take this requirement into account.
Officers meet with representatives from the Scottish Futures Trust periodically and in their most recent meeting in October 2021, provided an update on the Council’s updated investment plans for the school estate in East Dunbartonshire.
Information on the third round of the Learning Estate Investment Programme, including a timeline for applications and awards, is awaited from the Scottish Government. Further updates will follow in due course via the General Services Capital Monitoring Reports and future revisions to the Council’s Capital Investment Plan.
