The Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS) has welcomed the Scottish Government’s interim guidance for site inspections in the wake of the Cole Report.
The Cole Report was commissioned after the collapse of a wall at Oxgangs Primary School and the subsequent closure of 17 Edinburgh schools in 2016.
The key message of the guidance is that contracting authorities engaged in construction must make appropriate arrangements for independent inspection of construction activities.
RIAS said it “warmly welcomes” the new ‘interim guidance for site inspection and assurance on behalf of public sector clients’. The organisation called it a “positive step” that clearly notes the need for appropriate inspection regimes across all forms of procurement, adding that it looks forward to developing further policy, procedures and guidance with the Scottish Government that will benefit the Scottish public in the future.
RIAS president Stewart Henderson PRIAS commented, “The Scottish Government is keenly aware of its responsibility to ensure that our built environment is safe, attractive and delivers quality places for Scotland’s people. This Interim Guidance Note acknowledges that architects and our co-professionals are key to delivering this agenda. It is a very positive step.”
