Two more Edinburgh schools found with defective building work under PFI

Defective building work has been found in more schools among the 17 closed in Edinburgh in an emergency safety measure imposed by the city's council on Friday.

Three primary schools are already having repair work done, including Oxgangs (pictured) where a major section of wall was blown off during Storm Gertrude in January. It emerged on Monday night that two high schools would also had faults that needed rectifying.

All the affected schools were built 10 years ago under a £360m deal using the controversial private finance initiative (PFI) scheme. Critics are now rounding on the way the project seemed to be focused on financial targets rather than solid construction and the needs of pupils.

Malcolm Fraser, an architect and former deputy chair of Architecture and Design Scotland, the Scottish government’s advisory body, said he had raised concerns about the “quality of the build environment”.

Speaking to the BBC, he cited the “sheer expense and fantastically complex financial instruments that were used to procure” the schools adding that “all the focus was on the process and enrichment of bankers and lawyers along the way”.

“As it turns out there's also been shoddiness in the way these buildings have been built in addition to the financial and design shoddiness that were inherent in the process,” Fraser said.

“I think it's a basic problem in Britain that we care less for making things and we care most for financial processes.”

The five high schools, 10 primaries and two special schools were built by the Edinburgh Schools Partnership (ESP), a consortium of Amey and Miller Construction and the Bank of Scotland.

Galliford Try bought Miller Construction in 2014. On Tuesday it said the costs of remedial work would not be "material" to the group. Edinburgh Council has said it will not be footing the bill to make the schools safe.

The closure has affected more than 7,700 students. At least 2,000 are secondary students trying to prepare for exams in two weeks.

Edinburgh Council said “significant work” was taking place to ensure the 2,000 pupils affected “will be accommodated in high schools in Edinburgh”.

“This will ensure they are fully supported in readiness for their exams,” it said in a statement.

“Additional offers of support with accommodating pupils have come in from Edinburgh University, the Scottish Parliament, NHS Lothian, community groups and venues and private sector companies.”