Monifieth High School: Why has cost of new school increased and what happens next?

The future of a new Monifieth High School has been thrown in doubt as “significant” cost increases means the project is now over budget.

Despite Angus Council previously approving plans for a new £50 million campus to replace the current school, a recent feasibility study has estimated the total cost of the project would be £61m.

This means councillors will now have to decide between increasing the budget for the new school or abandoning the new build project and opting to refurbish the existing building instead.

But why has the cost of the project spiralled and can Angus Council afford to increase the budget for a new school?

Why have the costs increased?

A report on the latest position of the Monifieth Learning Campus outlined that the estimated costs have risen significantly in comparison to the budget available.

The increased costs relate to a number of factors including:

• Increased floor area, including accommodation for Police Scotland (additional funding
was to be provided)

• inflationary increases beyond previous forecast

• significant increased material / construction costs as a result of external factors (energy costs; fuel costs; Covid; Brexit; material supply; material shortages)

Can savings be made to keep costs down?

The contractor and the council’s team involved in the project have identified potential costs savings ranging from £3m to £5m. These include:

• rationalisation of accommodation required
• removal of the area required for Police Scotland
• alternative construction methods / material choice
• rationalisation of site setup and use of on-site materials.

However, the report said estimated construction costs “remain extremely volatile” due to circumstances outwith the council’s control.

This, the report concluded, means the local authority “needs to re-assess whether the project remains affordable” given the “wider financial challenges”.

What happens next?

Angus Council’s policy and resources committee will meet on Tuesday to discuss the report’s recommendations and decide on the next step.

As it stands, two options are on the table. These are:

• increase the budget for the project and continue to the next stage as previously agreed
• abandon the new build project and pursue a phased programme of
  refurbishment works to the existing school

However, the replacement school has the backing of one local MSP who has vowed to raise the issue in the Scottish Parliament.

North East region Scottish Conservative MSP Maurice Golden said: “This is massively challenging for a council that has already had to find £78 million in budget savings over the last 10 years.

“But the current Monifieth High is now over capacity and a new school was promised in 2020. It was a priority of the last council and people in Monifieth and Sidlaws will be looking for construction to go ahead as planned.

“I will raise the issue of this funding gap in the Scottish Parliament at the earliest opportunity.”