BAM wins £120m school deal

Dutch group BAM, which owns HBG, has clinched a £120m deal to deliver Dunbartonshire Council’s privately-financed schools scheme, seeing off contenders Transform Schools (Balfour Beatty) and the West Dunbartonshire Schools Partnership (Amey/Carillion).

The Public Private Partnership involves the design, construction, finance, operation and maintenance of six schools on four sites north-west of Glasgow.

The six are: Dumbarton Academy, Vale of Leven Academy, Clydebank High School , St Peter the Apostle High School , Dumbarton Primary School , and St Eunan’s Primary School.

West Dunbartonshire's director of education & cultural services, Liz McGinlay, praised BAM’s designs as “innovative and visionary,” adding, "They have produced imaginative, original, stylish and educationally functional designs with a real civic presence for each of the schools.”

Robert Young, BAM PPP's project director, said he was “delighted” that BAM had been appointed. BAM is providing a one-stop shop, with HBG delivering the design and construction of the schools, landscaping and sports facilities; HBG Facilities Management  providing the fm services; and BAM PPP managing the consortium as sole shareholder.

Construction work is expected to start immediately after financial close, in late September this year. The first of the new schools will become operational by April 2009 with the last of the school facilities being handed over in October 2010.