Contracts & Tenders
College 2012
The redevelopment of Banff and Buchan College’s main campus in Fraserburgh is now in full swing after the Scottish Funding Council, who is the main sponsor of the project, gave the go ahead for the £23m redevelopment. Robertson Construction Northern has now formally been awarded the main contract to complete the works over the next 18 months.
Project Sponsor Duncan Abernethy from Banff and Buchan College said “Robertson Construction Northern will undertake the rebuild programme in five phases, which will see the demolition of large sections of the main campus building in Fraserburgh in advance of the construction of a large, central learning space. This new atrium will provide more social and flexible learning space for students and will feed into refurbished classroom clusters providing a modern environment for learning. New canteen facilities and a coffee shop will complement the new building and while the overall footprint of the College remains virtually unchanged, the exterior of the building will be completely refreshed and modernised”.
“Work is already well advanced and the main entrance to the college will soon look very different with two thirds of it demolished to create the new modernised frontage. Robertson has taken possession of the building for the next 15 weeks to complete the demolition and initial construction work. Approximately half of the main building will be handed back to the College to enable classes to commence in September 2010”.
During the academic year ahead, a number of the College’s courses will be taught in alternative accommodation in the portacabin village opposite the main building on Henderson Road, at its outreach centres across Aberdeenshire, or at other locations in Fraserburgh.
Managing Director of Robertson Northern, Frank Reid added, “We are absolutely delighted to be awarded the contract for Banff and Buchan College’s ‘College 2012’ redevelopment project. At a time when there is a great deal of uncertainty within the construction industry it is encouraging to have been able to win a contract of this size on our own doorstep. We look forward to delivering this very exciting design for the College’s staff and students. We have a lot of experience in the education sector and I’m sure that this great new facility will provide enormous benefits for the communities in and around Faserburgh.”
Mark Batho, Chief Executive of the Scottish Funding Council who are the main funders of the project, said: “The College's refurbished campus will provide excellent modern facilities and a high quality teaching and learning environment which will benefit students and staff. I am pleased that the Council's funding has enabled the redevelopment of this campus for the good of the College and the wider community.”
Local politicians too have been very supportive of the project. First Minister Alex Salmond said: "I'm delighted that the new Banff and Buchan College campus development has been given the green light. The College plays a hugely important role in the social and economic life of Fraserburgh and throughout the North East. The importance of rural colleges in terms of helping local businesses and communities, particularly in the current climate, should not be underestimated. This is a priority for the Scottish Government, and the Scottish Funding Council provided colleges with record levels of funding this year and an additional £1 million specifically to rural colleges. The redeveloped campus will provide staff and students with a much-improved environment in which to work and learn, while the construction and refurbishment work itself will provide a timely-boost to local business."
Local MP Eilidh Whiteford said: "I'm delighted that work on the redevelopment of Banff & Buchan College is now underway. We are fortunate to have such a successful college in this area equipping people with the skills and qualifications they need to find work in these difficult economic times. The new facilities will help the college go from strength to strength, and I wish the new Principal and his team every success."
Over the coming months almost two thirds of the College’s main campus will be refurbished, modernising classrooms, upgrading IT infrastructure and introducing new teaching areas which more closely reflect the needs of today’s curriculum delivery. The environmental aspects of the building have also been given a lot of attention during the design. Eco-friendly measures including a ground-air heat exchanger and photovoltaic wind-catchers will ensure the comfort of learners while they work and at the same time helping the building to achieve a BREEAM ‘Very Good’ rating.
College Principal Paul Sherrington looks forward to the new building being handed over: “This project is going to be of huge benefit to all in the future and I look forward to welcoming the first set of students to our new and improved campus in August 2011. It is brilliant that we have been able to secure the funding for this project from the Scottish Funding Council as it will help us to provide an even better service to our students in the future and will reflect the dynamic and forward thinking nature of our College. This is an exciting time for me to take on the role of Principal and we are all waiting in eager anticipation to watch the refurbished college emerge.”
Alan Findlay, Chairman of the College Board of Management added: “The Board has shown vision and ambition in pursuing this building project. It is absolutely delighted to have secured this development for students, staff and for Fraserburgh and the wider community of the North East. There are many individuals and groups that will benefit from this exciting project”.
The project is expected to be completed by the end of December 2011 when the temporary accommodation is removed from site and the main car park reinstated.
College Bus Service
Tender Document College Bus Service Aug 2009 - July 012