Council set to ensure essential work done as part of schools PFI hand back

Stoke-on-Trent City Council is prepared to step in to ensure essential improvements to the city’s school buildings reach completion as part of the hand back process for its Private Finance Initiative.

The council is set to fund a "backstop" position of up to £3.5 million to fund works that may not be completed by the PFI contractor, Transform Schools Stoke Ltd (TSSL), and other identified work.

The money - which would come from an existing capital reserve that is no longer needed for schools growth - signals the council's firm commitment to ensuring works get done, and that all children are provided with good school environments where they can thrive.

It comes as the 25-year contract draws to a close and is intended to give all parties security and confidence to move forward together and bring this chapter to a close

The council intends to enter a further agreement with TSSL to agree a final programme of hand back works is completed that prioritises timely delivery of the most important works.

That would allow the contractor additional time, where justified, beyond the current contract end date of 25 October to complete outstanding or overrunning works, and to satisfactorily resolve any quality issues.

Stoke-on-Trent's schools PFI contract is the biggest in the country covering the delivery of maintenance services to 88 school buildings. It was one of the first such PFI deals to get off the ground in the country – and as such it gave the council fewer levers and controls than the contracts which were to follow.

Nevertheless, the council is determined to make sure the transition is as robust and as smooth as possible as the contract comes to an end and is working collaboratively with TSSL to achieve a successful handover.

Councillor Alastair Watson, Cabinet Member for Financial Sustainability and Corporate Resources at Stoke-on-Trent City Council, said: “The priority here is to work with schools and trusts to ensure they get the safe, warm and dry works they are expecting, and to the standard we all require for our city’s children."