Infrastructure Investment Plan 2021-22 to 2025-26: Major capital projects progress update (September 2022)

Sector: Further Education

Project: Dunfermline Learning Campus (College element)

Business case approved stages: New build college campus in Dunfermline, Fife. 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 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 Decision Point 4 (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.

Progress at September 2022: The DP4 submission has now been assessed by the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) and approved at a Chair's special committee. The DP4 approval was ratified by the SFC Board on 3 September 2022. The DP4 approval was for £119.4 million. Due to further inflation and resulting cost uncertainty, the project cost is likely to increase further. This has resulted in a delay to the DP4 recommendation to the Scottish Government. The SFC are now awaiting final full costs prior to making its recommendation to the Scottish Government.

Due to the delay in the DP4 recommendation, construction is now estimated to commence at the end of November 2022 with completion aimed for the end of 2024 which is later than previously reported.

Contact for public enquiries: email: ndixon@sfc.ac.uk