Regular readers will know that it was the April meeting of the Corporate, Policy & Strategy Committee earlier this morning ...
... as well as all of the previously referenced (regular) business, the issue of the recent (and ongoing) School closures featured in a composite Emergency Motion, which was supported by all Parties, and which I'll simply cut-and-paste below ---
--- you can also watch the discussion via the webcast - link from here - if you're so minded.
And generally - please do continue to keep an eye on the following two links over coming days, which will be updated on a daily basis with further details:
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Edinburgh Schools
1. Committee notes, with regret, the recent necessity to close several Edinburgh Schools – all of which were designed, constructed, and continue to be managed, by the Edinburgh Schools Partnership (ESP).
2. Committee also notes that the Council Leader has apologised for the significant inconvenience these closures have caused.
3. Committee further notes that the safety of children, and our staff, has to be the top priority and the Council cannot take any risks with such. Thus, given the professional advice from the Edinburgh Schools Partnership (ESP) – received on Friday 8th April – the Council had no option but to close these facilities.
4. Committee understands that the most immediate tasks which will be carried out as a matter urgency will be: the continuation of educational-provision; ensuring the safety of the affected buildings; and seeing the facilities safely re-opened.
5. Committee thereafter calls for an urgent update report concerning this series of events, including a full update from the Edinburgh Schools Partnership (ESP), subject to an independent peer review, on the reasons for the identified defects; and instructs that the overall update report goes to the next meeting of the Corporate, Policy and Strategy Committee on Tuesday 17th May 2016.
6. The update report to include an update on the wider project/governance issues such as the council's management of the contract and the role of building control from the outset.
+ the following referred to the 17th May Committee meeting:
7. Committee also calls for a full inquiry into the failure of ESP buildings, including the contractual and other arrangements with the ESP regarding the quality assurance of the construction of the buildings; any responsibility CEC had during the construction phase including through Building Control; whether contractual terms have been adhered to; the management and maintenance of the buildings since construction; an assessment of costs incurred by the Council and by families and options for recovery.
Moved by - Councillor Burns
Seconded by - Councillor Ross
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