THE Construction Industry Coronavirus (CICV) Forum has proposed a series of measures to help safely reopen schools across the country.
The body has written to Kevin Stewart MSP, the Scottish Government’s minister for local government, housing and planning, outlining a series of ‘practical proposals’ which it says would ‘minimise costs and interventions’.
Suggested measures include repurposing existing vacant property near schools, or building temporary accommodation in suitable locations with a common design approach, including fit-out, to ensure compliance with site operating procedures (SOPs).
The CICV Forum explained it had taken inspiration from other emergency situations, including the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans and the fire at the Glasgow School of Art.
Hew Edgar, chair of the futures sub-group of the Forum and interim head of UK policy at the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) said, “We have a wealth of consultants and contractors who could participate in such a project. Scottish contracting, manufacturing and supplier industries could quickly gear up to meet this pressing need for children, staff, families and the economy, and therefore maximise the economic multiplier benefits for the country.”
The Scottish Government’s current aim is to re-open schools full-time in August rather than using a ‘blended’ education model.
In its letter, the Forum states: “We have discussed the potential for the industry to adopt steps by which a full return to learning may take place and suggest there are a spectrum of measures to minimise cost and the need for intervention. These include the rapid identification of opportunities to build temporary accommodation, such as modular buildings/marquees etc, in school playgrounds or adjacent fallow ground to increase school capacity.
“These could each follow a common design approach, and fitted out to minimise the possibility of cross-contamination between students both inside and outside the classroom. Contractors on the internal fit-out of these units could undertake the work and by being a generic design, a programme of works be established to ensure compliance with SOPs.
“If such design principles were agreed, suppliers across Scotland will respond which would stimulate the construction industry and create a solution to ensure the continued education of Scotland’s school pupils during this time. This will create a short-term pipeline of work for consultants and contractors across Scotland and the right environment for the continuation of existing apprentices work-based evidence and future apprenticeship opportunities.”
The letter endorses earlier suggestions by the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland, which has already written to Mr Stewart regarding the subject of school capacity.
Hew added, “Scotland is very well based to deliver such a programme with the quality of construction consultants within the industry, quality of contractors and using the Construction Scotland Innovation Centre. It would, of course, be essential that the temporary accommodation be built of sustainable materials and consideration given to their future use when we are in the positive position where they can be removed and CICV Forum would be very happy to work with the Scottish Government, and Public Health Scotland, on this proposal.”
