The council will launch an inquiry to find out what led to building defects in 17 schools across the city built or renovated under the PPI scheme.
The council leader Andrew Burns told The Edinburgh Reporter that this is not a situation that he is happy to be in, but he will ensure that the inquiry will be a thorough investigation which will get to the bottom of what happened.
Watch this morning’s interview here:
The Edinburgh Reporter News – Update On Schools Closure from Phyllis Stephen on Vimeo.
The Council’s Chief Executive, Andrew Kerr, is actively seeking out individuals who might be suitable to take up the role of chair of such an inquiry. The council leader said that the qualifications for the job might be legal or it might be someone with building experience. No matter who is appointed the inquiry needs to be thorough and it will be conducted on a similar footing to the Mortonhall inquiry chaired by Dame Eilish Angiolini.
Councillor Andrew Burns said: “I am pleased to reconfirm that the programme of reopening schools is still intact. Where we can bring that programme forward we will do.
“At next week’s Corporate Policy and Strategy Committee we will establish an independent led inquiry into how this has all happened. It will be led by an independent chairperson and we will consult with all the opposition group leaders about the remit of the inquiry and the appointment of the chair.
“We are trying to recover the maximum amount we can from Edinburgh Schools Partnership so that there is no cost to the Edinburgh taxpayer at all.
It is unlikely that the inquiry will start until the schools are all reopened following remedial building works.
The first school affected was Oxgangs Primary School where a wall collapsed in January 2016 after Storm Gertrude. Investigations into all 17 schools which had been built or renovated under the PPI scheme led to the temporary closure and decanting arrangements for over 7,500 school pupils.
Some pupils are still not back in their own school building although all schoolchildren in Edinburgh are being educated and are sitting exams. The position is not likely to be completely back to normal till August and the inquiry will begin its work then.
The council is seeking all costs from Edinburgh Schools Partnership the body responsible for running the school buildings under the PPI arrangements.
Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
