Category Archives: Organisation Development and Training

Dumfries and Galloway Council – payment mechanism

We recently undertook a review of Dumfries and Galloway Council’s payment mechanism monitoring procedures for their Schools PPP programme.

Our work involved recalculating a sample of applicable deductions and a broader assessment of how their procedures worked in practice, noting any areas for improvement. We identified a number of potential efficiencies for the Council as a result of this review.

Newbattle High School reaches Financial Close

Midlothian Council’s new 1200 pupil Newbattle High School reached financial close on Friday 12 February 2016.  The new school will be built and serviced by Hub South East Scotland under a 25 year hub/DBFM/PPP contract.

We supported Midlothian Council’s internal team throughout the process.  Services included assistance with the ‘Key Stage Review’ submissions to government, analysis and interrogation of the financial model and its underlying assumptions, and liaison with the technical to ensure that the payment mechanism and termination clauses were in line with current practice.

Moray Council – Elgin High School PPP

We are proud to have continued our long relationship with Moray Council and to have supported them on the procurement the new Elgin High School which was signed in February this year on the basis of the hub DBFM PPP structure. Previously, we supported the Council on the procurement of Elgin Academy and Keith Primary School.

The new school is a replacement for the original buildings, built in 1978. The school is a 6 year non-denominational comprehensive school with serving south Elgin and the adjoining rural areas. The new buildings will cater for 800 pupils and will have a separate sports block, an all-weather sports pitch and an athletics track. The school’s sports and performance facilities will be available for community use.

Anderson High School PPP – Shetland Islands Council

We are delighted to have acted as financial advisers to the Shetland Islands Council to  support their procurement of a replacement for Anderson High School in Lerwick. The project reached financial close on the 29th of July 2015.

The project comprises the 1,180 pupil secondary school (£42 million DBFM contract) and new halls of residence (£13 million Design and Build contract). It will be delivered by hub North Scotland ltd.

The new school will be the UK’s most remote and most northerly six year secondary school.

Highland Council – Strategic Education Review

Following the recommendations of our 2012 review of the schools estate in Caithness, Highland Council embarked on a complete regeneration of the schools in the northern town of Wick.  This comprised the creation of the new Noss Primary School under a design and build contract with hub North Scotland, and the replacement of Wick High School and two primary schools with a single 3-18 campus school under a hub/DBFM/PPP contract.

We subsequently advised the Council on the procurement of the 3-18 campus and associated community facilities.  This DBFM/PPP procurement reached financial close with our support on 19 December 2014 and the new school is due to open in October 2016.

Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service – New National Centre

We advised the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service on the business case, procurement and development of KPIs for their purpose-built national centre.  The project reached financial close in 2014 and the facility opened in 2017, marking a step change in the sustainability of service delivery.  It involves consolidating three existing blood, tissue and cell manufacturing and testing facilities, plus associated functions in a purpose built facility at Heriot Watt Research Park in Edinburgh.