News
Faber defies gloom as school
building scheme hits buffers
n
A leading building services
consultancy says it is not
worried about the threat of further
delays to the school-building
programme in the UK.
The government was last month
forced to appoint a troubleshooter
to sort out problems with Building
Schools for the Future (BSF), the
government initiative for renovating
school buildings.
BSF has suffered delays partly
because of difficulties faced by
colleges raising funds amid the
credit crunch.
Many proposed schemes rely on
either the sale of land or other assets
and on the ability of colleges to gain
financial support from the banks.
The consultancy Faber Maunsell |
AECOM said it remained confident One of Faber’s success stories: St Christopher’s School in Letchworth, which was built through a PFI deal
that it was “business as usual” with
the school buildings programme. Skills Secretary John Denham has colleges, and only 42 colleges had A Treasury spokesman said: “PFI
Its director of education, Valerie appointed Sir Andrew Foster to lead not yet benefited from investment. deals are still going ahead but like all
Bragg, said: “We are busy on the an independent review into the BSF. There is concern in the private sector investment projects,
sixth-form colleges, colleges of The Learning and Skills Council construction industry that some the global credit crunch is affecting
further education and the secondary admitted: “There are early signs that hospital and local authority building PFI projects.
school and academy programmes, the ability of colleges to raise their schemes could also be affected by “The government has been
and we are looking forward to our own funds to help pay for proposed the downturn, which is making it working for some time with
involvement in the primary capital projects is being affected by the more difficult for funds to be raised individual projects to help them
programme which is starting now. downturn.” under the Private Finance Initiative close and is working to push forward
All this will keep us busy well into the However, it said that nearly 700 (PFI), the government’s joint public- all the projects currently in the
future.” BSF projects had been agreed at 330 private funding programme. pipeline.”
Obama cash ‘coming to industry’ More builders opt for
Billions of dollars will be spent on energy generation, from sources
tackling the energy efficiency of US such as wind, sun, and biofuels, high-level energy surveys
buildings as part of the Obama over the next three years.
administration’s $825bn stimulus ASHRAE president Bill Harrison A growing number of property standard certificate, while 28 per
package. said: “The new US administration professionals are seeking more cent intended to get a detailed
Delegates at the Chicago is creating a lot of optimism – a detailed assessments of their survey too, and a fifth aimed to
meeting of the American Society greater focus on energy efficiency buildings’ energy efficiency, despite implement some or all of the
of Heating, Refrigerating and Air and sustainability is guaranteed. the higher costs involved. recommendations.
Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) Billions of dollars will help to While most property More than half found an energy
late last month welcomed the new stimulate the building economy professionals requiring commercial assessor through recommendation,
president’s proposals. and it’s coming right at ASHRAE energy certificates intend to obtain and 50 per cent believed energy
President Obama made members, whose expertise will be a low-cost standard survey, more certificates were “very” important.
repeated references to energy in greater demand than ever.” than a quarter want to obtain the Overall, 53 per cent said they would
conservation in buildings as part of Executive vice-president Jeff most detailed survey. implement recommendations.
his strategy for tackling America’s Littleton said 2009 would be a The findings are revealed in two John Field, a CIBSE low carbon
creaking infrastructure. “pivotal year” as the industry faced informal CIBSE internet surveys of energy assessor and director of
All federal government buildings “daunting challenges and great property professionals and energy Power Efficiency Ltd, said: “At
will be made more energy efficient opportunities” in equal measure. assessors conducted last December this stage of Energy Performance
and household energy bills will But he warned the financial crisis to learn more about their views on Certification roll-out, if more
be slashed by a programme of would get worse before it got better. energy performance certificates than 20 per cent of property
“weatherising” 2.5m homes. The There will be a full Ashrae (EPCs) and display energy professionals have progressed EPC
President also said the US would conference report in the March certificates (DECs). and DEC improvement measures
double its capacity for ‘green’ issue. Of the property professionals I would say that is extremely
questioned, 82 per cent wanted a positive.”
6 CIBSE Journal February 2009
www.cibsejournal.com
CIBSEfeb09pp06-07 news•.indd 6 5/2/09 14:54:12
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