So at last, Building Schools for the Future (BSF) is to up the ante. The announcement this week that eight schemes are to be fast-tracked is welcome news for the £45bn initiative that has been lagging behind in delivering what it initially promised.
Tim Byles, who heads BSF, has worked hard to accelerate it since he took office. Two reviews have cut eight months off the timescale for each scheme - pre-procurement improving by six months, and the procurement process now being two months faster - all resulting in costs being reduced by 30%.
Cynics might suggest that news of the £625m accelerated programme will help drive costs down further. After all, the credit crunch means that developers, housebuilders and contractors in the commercial sector will be keen to find more work - and BSF would suit them just fine.
But while there is a hope that the increased competition might "exert a downward pressure" on costs, BSF has never been short of bidders. It has always been a competitive battle, and those that have won contracts have done it on the merits of delivering best value.
And that's what BSF and local authorities must focus on. While the temptation might be to go for the cheapest bid, and get more schools for less money, schools must be built to withstand a tough life, and that means best value must still win.
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