Civils drought follows delays to Scottish Water’s framework deal

Delays to Scottish Water's massive £1.8bn framework contract to overhaul its fresh and wastewater infrastructure is creating a serious shortfall in civils work in Scotland, it has emerged this week.

The four-year framework contract was due to be signed with Scottish Water's two preferred partners in March, but the company confirmed this week that delays mean it will not be signed before July.

The Civil Engineering Contractors Association in Scotland (CECA Scotland) warned that further delays would impact on its members.

Alan Watts, chief executive at CECA Scotland, said: "We are increasingly concerned that ongoing delays to Scottish Water's programme will impact on Scottish civil engineering jobs. Our members are already reporting a slowdown in work with poor employment prospects. There is a huge job to be done and we simply need to get on with it."

Scottish Water said the deal was late because it was complicated. A spokeswoman said: "It is the first time a deal like this has ever been done and we want to get it right."

She admitted that there had been a slowdown in work, but said this was due to Scotland's Water Industry Commissioner's failure to sign off Scottish Water's capital programme. "That is where the delay is. Until we get the Commissioner to sign off we can't put the work out," she added.

But a Water Industry Commissioner spokeswoman refuted Scottish Water's claim. "The deal is before ministers who have requested it meets certain requirements and until they are met and the deal is signed we cannot sign off Scottish Water's capital programme," she said.

Scottish Water appointed two preferred partners to deliver the upgrade of its waste and fresh water systems in January this year, after a rigorous selection process. They are Stirling Water (MJ Gleeson, Alfred McAlpine and Thames Water) and United Utilities, Galliford and Morgan Est.