Wick High leads the way with Hub North
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COUNCILLORS are set to meet with officials in Inverness tomorrow to clarify arrangements for the construction of a new high school in Wick.
The Highland Council’s education, culture and sport committee will meet with representatives from Hub North and the Scottish Futures Trust to discuss contractual and financial arrangements for the new building.
Hub North is a joint venture between the public sector, private sector and the Scottish Futures Trust, made up of construction and development companies.
The framework has been designed by the Scottish Futures Trust to find the best possible price for community-based projects rather putting them out on the external market.
Wick High School is set to be one of the first schools in the country to be constructed under the Hub scheme.
The design brief for the estimated £37 million project has been agreed following consultation.
The new building is expected to be completed by August 2014 and will include a new library, performance venue and swimming pool.
Neil Grice, programme manager for Hub North, said that the organisation is committed to working towards creating a first-class facility for Wick.
“It is important to emphasise that we are a development company and not a building contractor,” he said.
“We will take the Highland Council through the process of how much it will cost and how long it will take to build.
“We will then work closely with them to choose who the most appropriate building contractors and architects are to go ahead with the project.
“We will also work closely with the council to give local companies the chance to be part of the supply chain as well.”
As part of the proposed deal, the Highland Council has to enter into a 25-year agreement with Hub North.
This would involve Hub North being paid a service charge from the council during that period for the maintenance of the building. After 25 years the council would be fully responsible for all costs of the building.
SFT associate director Alistair Nicol said it has an extensive supply chain under its group which has been set up as part of the procurement process to deliver the scheme.
“The school will always be owned by the Highland Council who will be paying for the delivery of the facility,” he said.
“What the Highland Council will be paying as part of the 25-year agreement is a unitary service charge which covers building maintenance, such as replacing as boilers and lifts.
“The Highland Council will still retain management of the school and will be responsible for issues such as security, cleaning, catering and furnishings.
“After the 25-year agreement has elapsed, the Highland Council will be responsible for the entire maintenance of the school.
“But we will also invest in the school during the agreement as we have an obligation to hand the school to the authority in a certain condition.”
ECS chairman Bill Fernie, of Wick, said that he is hopeful councillors’ issues can be answered and the project can get going.
“This a new beast that the Highland Council are dealing with,” he said.
“The Scottish Futures Trust are very keen that we put projects through this process.
“We have assurances from the Scottish Government that the school will be built and the funding mechanism will be done through the Hub Partnership. It is still a new system to the Highland Council and we will be looking for clarity in some areas. At the moment it’s a case of trial and test.”
He added: “We can all be a bit sceptical about new things, but there are a lot of experienced names in the Hub.
“The Scottish Futures Trust are more keen to put work through the Hub with a guaranteed delivery date.”
