School buildings - condition assessment

Following the issues affecting the Edinburgh Schools constructed under PPP contracts, Aberdeenshire Council instructed inspections and investigations of the nine schools within our estate which were procured under PPP contracts. 

The building condition reports and explanatory briefing note (pdf 50KB) have been made available in the interests of transparency and outline the actions undertaken by Aberdeenshire Council since the Edinburgh incident, and next steps. 

The reports reflect the inspections undertaken at:

Further reports, with similar findings have subsequently been undertaken on behalf of the Project Company responsible for the management of these schools, at Banff Primary, Oldmeldrum Primary, Rosehearty Primary and Rothienorman Primary. 

Following extensive review and analysis, we have agreed an appropriate scheme of remediation works to be undertaken at our PPP schools. These works started on Monday 3rd July at Kintore and Longside Schools, with the other schools programmed over the remainder of the summer holiday period as set out in the works programme (pdf 86KB).

The key messages from our investigations are as follows: 

  • Inspections were undertaken at nine Aberdeenshire schools in partnership between Aberdeenshire Council, the PPP Project Company and their contractor
  • The subsequent reports identified that some more detailed inspections would be “good maintenance practice” following the risk assessment of the building type 
  • Some requirement for remedial works were identified and have now been agreed with the PPP project company
  • The identified works represent no immediate risk to structural safety or building integrity