Infrastructure Investment Plan 2021-22 to 2025-26: major capital projects progress update - March 2022
This progress update relates to projects with a capital value of £5 million or more which are at the outline business case (or equivalent) approved stage or beyond and mainly comprises projects included at Annex D of our Infrastructure Investment Plan published in February 2021.
Sector: Further Education
Project: Dunfermline Learning Campus (College element)
Business case approved stages: The OBC outlined that the total project cost would be £86 million, of which the NPD contract value (and Scottish Government contribution) was £70 million. It estimated that the project would be operational by August 2020.
The College submitted a FBC in June 2017 for approval. However, due to the withdrawal of the NPD funding model and uncertainties on capital funding, approval was not given. Consequently, a decision was taken to put the project on hold pending assurances about funding. On 4 September 2019, the Scottish Government announced a commitment of £90 million to fully fund the College portion of the Dunfermline Education Campus.
Progress at September 2021: In October 2021, Ministers agreed to Fife College continuing to progress up to Decision Point 4, pre-construction assessment (signature & financial close) recognising that this will be to deliver the proposed hybrid plus low carbon solution to enable Fife College to achieve net zero emissions.
Final college costings will only be known at Decision Point 4 when the Scottish Funding Council will make a further recommendation to Ministers on whether the project is affordable, whether all risks are being managed and whether it is deliverable. Ministerial approval will be required at this point to allow the project to proceed to the final phase – construction. Decision Point 4 is expected to conclude around the middle of March 2022.
Progress at March 2022: No change to cost since the last report.
Following approval in October 2021 for the project to continue towards a low carbon solution, the DP4 assessment has been delayed until June 2022. This is later than previously reported and is to enable the College working with the project design team, to finalise costs which has been hampered by the current instability in the construction market.
Construction is planned to commence in summer 2022 with completion aimed for the start of academic year 2024-25.
Contact for public enquiries: email: ndixon@sfc.ac.uk
Contact
Email: stuart.mckeown@gov.scot
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