Hidden £65m PPP Schools bill

Surprise, Surprise...

Ministers claim they have inherited a hidden £65m liability for privately-financed school projects that the previous Labour-LibDem administration failed to budget for in full.

...by 2010-11 will be £165m as the true cost of the exponential rise in the value contracts has become clear.

These were only £17m last year but leapt to £48m this year before reaching £137m next year and a total of £165m by the final year of this parliament, all for projects that have already been built, are under construction, or have been approved.

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Never mind, just think of the money the council will get from selling the Bishopbriggs High School site plus the 'surplus' land at Thomas Muir and Turnbull.

Parents meeting for Bishopbriggs Academy

Forthcoming meeting on Monday 17th September at 7.45pm where parents can get an update about the latest plans for Bishopbriggs Academy from the council's PPP team.

Bishopbriggs High Site

This site is not suitable for a school!

Jo Swinson and the Lib-Dems are asking the people of Bishopbriggs what they would like on the Bishopbriggs High School site.

None of the options include a school - exactly what the people agreed to the first time the Lib-Dems asked!

What's the point if their opinion is to be ignored as previous?

PPP deals cost Scots £22bn

Scots will have to pay a "phenomenal" £22.3bn over the next four decades to fund all the Public Private Partnership projects across the country - around £4500 for every Scot.

New figures released by the Scottish Executive have revealed the true cost of the 102 contracts for the privately built schools, prisons and hospitals which, in some cases, will be privately run.

The PPP statistics highlight the legacy of taxpayer debt the new SNP executive has inherited from the previous administration.

Professor Allyson Pollock, head of the Centre for International Public Health Policy at Edinburgh University, said: "This is a phenomenal amount of debt being incurred and stored up, not only for this generation but for future generations too. Others have noted the ways in which we are mortgaging our children's futures.



"The high costs of PFI squeezes expenditure on public services spending. In health, there is very good research evidence of the ways in which PFI drains money from public services and as a result services are cut and closed to pay the PFI charges and profits of the banks and shareholders."

A spokesman for the Scottish Labour Party said: "When you break it down it is good value for money."

From The herald

Prisoners treated better than our children?

Dr Gordon Low wrote a letter to the Bishopbriggs Herald highlighting the way the Council have treated our children compared to how prisoners at Low Moss prison are treated.

During last year's public inquiry into the proposed new prison at Low Moss, Scottish Prison Service (SPS) were at pains to stress the urgency of building prisons to meet the rising prisoner population.
So it's a bit surprising now to find that they can manage quite happily for the next two years with one fewer prison. (Bishopbriggs Herald, 28th February)
But then, the SPS would tell us that they're seeking to accommodate twice the number of inmates in a state-of-the-art complex, complete with its own dedicated sports facilities and requiring the flexibility afforded by the utilisation of the whole available site.
So presumably the site has to be cleared before building work can begin, as trying to construct the new prison round the existing buildings would hopelessly compromise the design.
And of course, the SPS would probably consider it unreasonable to expect prisoners to have to live in a building site for two years.
Fair enough, perhaps. Yet it does seem just a bit ironic that the latter approach is exactly the construction methodology being employed by East Dunbartonshire Council to accommodate twice the school role at the new Bishopbriggs Academy, and with exactly the consequences the SPS are avoiding at Low Moss.
And that's before the council sells off part of the school site to the developers.
It wouldn't be good enough for the prisoners (and who would argue the point?) but apparently it's good enough for our school pupils.

SNP will build new schools but not for profit!

The SNP have said they are committed to building new schools in East Dunbartonshire but not under PPP.

The SNP would use a NOT for profit trust scheme, where benefits are ploughed back into education rather that being paid out to contractors.

Where as the Liberal Democrats are committed to selling land and paying developers to run the schools for years to come.

PPP has already been in the news when running costs have soared in several projects.

The Labour party had said the SNP would not built the schools but this has been denied by SNP candidate Dr Robin Easton.

Council leader John Morrison said it was insulting to the public to say that PPP was anything but a success...

That would be the same public who's advice the Liberal Democrats chose to ignore then Mr Morrison?

Where were the Interim School Board?

Probably the most important meeting with regard to the new Bishopbriggs Academy took place in Tom Johnston House.

Where were the Interim School Board?

Only one member of the Board, Ken Low, attended and only to speak ON BEHALF of the developers.

As for the other members... Your guess is as good as mine - they were NOT at the meeting.

Over fifty members of the public did attend the council planning meeting.

It was important to them - was it important to the school board?

Join the fight to stop the sale of land.

From this Wednesday's Evening Times (page 19)

100 residents protest at the sell of the, so called, 'surplus' land at the Thomas Muir site. A bigger school on a smaller site that has over forty conditions before the work can start.

You can see the report here (copyright Newsquest 2007)

Ex- Celtic players Tommy Gallagher and Charlie Gallagher back fight to stop housing plan at school site.

It seems crazy to sell off school land and then to share a pitch

Join the school board... more information here

Bus giant supports parents in school row

BUS giant First has joined forces with a group of parents fighting a decision to sell off school land as part of a closure plan.

Councillors have given the go-ahead to a controversial site for the new Bishopbriggs Academy on the outskirts of the town, despite huge concerns raised by parents.

© Newsquest 2007

The new school is to go on the site of the former Thomas Muir High School in Wester Cleddens Road, Woodhill.

But campaigners say some children will be forced to walk too far to get to the new school.

More from Evening Times

Write to your councillor or MSP

You can use this site to write to your councillors or MSPs regarding this issue (or anything else that concerns them)

Use this link - Write to them

Public hearing this Wednesday

The Public Hearing will take place on Wednesday 31st January 2007 at 5.30 pm in the Council Chambers, Tom Johnston House, Kirkintilloch.

I understand that Bishopbriggs Academy hearing will start around 7pm (Bearsden will be heard first).

All welcome.

Talks planned on new school sites

PEOPLE will soon get the chance to have their say on plans for two new secondary schools in East Dunbartonshire.

Public hearings will be held within weeks over proposed new sites for Bishopbriggs Academy and Bearsden Academy.

It follows a planning meeting this week at which councillors gave the go-ahead for a fourth school to be built under the £100m public private partnership scheme.

The council committee has now given full planning permission to four of the schools in the rebuilding programme, Kirkintilloch High, St Ninian's High, Turnbull High, and Douglas Academy.

Site visits and public hearings will now be held regarding the two remaining schools.

More from Evening Times

Drains at Thomas Muir site

This information has been sent to the site...

The planning application for the Academy claims that there is no history of flooding at the Academy site. This is patently untrue as both of the schools have had to have large stone filled drains installed recently to deal with run off surface water. Even this has not completely resolved this problem as this photograph shows.

Comment...

I looks like this is at an entrance gate.

Planning decision

At tonight's meeting of the Council planning committee, a decision over the planning application for Bishopbriggs Academy was deferred pending a site visit and public hearing.

It is hoped that this can be carried out on the same day (still to be confirmed).

Councillor Morrison constantly refereed to the planning had to be completed "quickly".

Another meeting is scheduled for Wednesday 31st January at 5.30pm and Tuesday 6th February.

Accident at Woodhill Primary

Reports have been sent to me regarding an incident ON the campus at Woodhill Primary this morning.

My information is that a child fell and hit his head on parked car's tow bar while in the school grounds. A paramedic was first to attend the call followed by an ambulance. The child was taken to Yorkhill Hospital and has since been released.

This issue will be raised at several meetings over the following days.

Woodhill Primary is next door to the proposed site of the new Bishopbriggs Academy.

Sports facilities

We would all like to see more sports facilities but there is a limit to what local authorities can do with the land and resources available
Sandy McGarvey

Yes, especially when you decide to sell off large sections of land that is already zoned for education...

Quote of the year!


Full story in today's Herald

For anyone who has been privilege to read the planning report (I have). They would have noticed the section on the areas around the pitch being less than the recommended safety areas.

The developers stated...

their is insufficient space to provide full run-offs etc.

If they checked their plans again, the pitch sides run parallel to the 'surplus' land. The safety area could easily be achieved if this land was used for education not gain.

If the planning is approved, as is, the safety of pupils would be compromised to achieve better receipts for land sale.

Planning board meeting

Dear James

Can I ask you to remind your readers of the details of the Planning Board meeting which will be held in Tom Johnston House this coming Tuesday 16th January.

"It is important that Councillors are made aware of the interest across Bishopbriggs in the details of this planning application. The school will be with us for the next 30 years so it is vital that the correct decisions are made by councillors on that night."

The meeting starts at 5 pm.

"The fight for a school that Bishopbriggs can be proud of for the next 30 years is coming to a conclusion. We owe it to our children and their children to say we fought for the best possible school - not just the cheapest option."

Their futures depend on us. See you there.

Donald Macdonald

yours

Donald Macdonald
Chair
Woodhill Residents Group

SportScotland 'not happy' at schools facilities...

From today's 'Herald' newspaper

SportScotland have expressed concerns over the sports facilities East Dunbarton Council have proposed in their PPP schools project.

Particular reference is made to the sale of 'surplus' land when this could be used for sport facilities (see earlier posts).

This is exactly what is happening on the Thomas Muir site were they are now being asked to share sports facilities with TWO neighbouring primary schools.

Read the article for yourself here in the Herald

Access to sport facilities

When it was pointed out to the Council that the High School site could use the pitch at the Lees (see 'shared sports facilities pitch 4' post), the Council said closing the Edinburgh to Glasgow line was NOT an option. This would allow a bridge or tunnel to be used for access to the pitch area - it could be done anytime over the next two years. Under the present arrangement the pitches on the Thomas Muir site will NOT be ready when the new Academy building is occupied.

This week Scot Rail have closed the main line over Christmas and New Year - yes, the main Glasgow to Edinburgh rail line. If the Council had agreed to the use of pitch 4, this option would NOT have caused any further delay to any rail service.

Yet another excuse that has proved unfounded....

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Merry Christmas

Have a great one Bishopbriggs...