RICHARD Lochhead MSP, the Scottish Government minister for small business, tourism, innovation and trade, recently visited the site of the new £250 million Dunfermline Learning Campus to hear about the progress of a campaign to improve construction quality.
Dunfermline Learning Campus is one of the largest infrastructure projects currently being delivered in Scotland.
Following some high-profile construction defects on public sector owned buildings, in February 2023 the Construction Quality Improvement Collaborative (CQIC) was launched by the Construction Leadership Forum, aimed at encouraging industry and public sector organisations to agree to a new quality charter underpinning all construction work.
So far, 82 public and private sector organisations representing over 30,000 construction-related workers have signed up to the charter. This includes all the key partners at Dunfermline Learning Campus – Fife Council, hub East Central Scotland, BAM, architects AHR and M&E engineers Rybka. Balfour Beatty, contractor for the new Fife College building, has also committed to the charter.
With the schools part due to open in August 2024, the campus will bring together pupils, students and staff at St Columba’s RC High School, Woodmill High School and Fife College in ‘modern, fit for purpose and low carbon’ facilities.
Mr Lochhead, who is also chair of the Construction Leadership Forum, heard how the campus is aiming to meet Passivhaus environmental standards. He said, “It’s great to see the commitment to achieving excellent quality, sustainable buildings from all the partners developing the Dunfermline Learning Campus.
“The Construction Quality Improvement Charter aligns with our ambitions for the sector and I would encourage everyone involved – clients, consultants, designers, contractors and the supply chain – to show their commitment to quality by signing up. Better quality buildings make sense environmentally, financially and, most importantly, from a safety perspective too.”
Alan Paul, head of property services at Fife Council, added, “Fife Council has a strong commitment to construction quality, to a just and sustainable transition and to maximising community wealth building. Our work on Dunfermline Learning Campus has allowed us to deliver against all three objectives – and to do so at pace and in partnership with Fife College. As a consequence, not only will we deliver a unique first-class learning environment, but we will also leave a very positive and lasting legacy for the communities of the City of Dunfermline. One of the cornerstones of our approach is an uncompromising approach to quality, to include construction quality which led us to be one of the first councils to commit to the Construction Quality Improvement Charter.”
Martin Cooper, construction director for BAM, commented, “At BAM we’re committed to building a more sustainable tomorrow, and that means building high-quality, sustainable buildings that are fit for the future. At Dunfermline Learning Campus we’re working closely with our client, Fife Council, to construct a fantastic learning environment that meets Passivhaus environmental standards. We are using the latest digital technologies and construction techniques to construct the new schools to the highest level of quality.
“We are proud committed members of the Construction Quality Improvement Charter and are supporting the drive to create a sustainable quality culture across construction in Scotland.”
To find out more about the Construction Quality Improvement Charter and make the pledge, visit https://cqic.org.uk/about/cqic-charter/
