News analysis BSF closure


design: ‘Many believe the design quality for school projects may suffer, particularly as there may be increased financial pressure to lower design standards to save money on the schemes that survive.’ Saxon says that the lack of


further investment in efficient new buildings will hit the country’s ability to meet the government’s stringent carbon targets: ‘With current building stock being retained, energy usage and consequent energy bills for individual schools are unlikely to reduce in line


The worry is that


investment could switch to a narrower view and simply look at building condition not building purpose. I think that would be a loss – Matt Dickinson, Max Fordham


with government local authority spending cuts.’ Kaval Patel, associate director,


building services at Buro Happold, agrees that the loss of CABE’s design advice could ‘mean a slowing down in the pace of improvements for the foreseeable future’. He says that the depth of cuts were more significant than most in the industry expected, which will ultimately have a deep impact on the anticipated growth that the industry was relying on. But, he says, it is not all bad news: ‘Currently, all new schools


need to hit stringent energy and CO2 targets as a given. With the new Part L due to come into force in October this year, closure of the BSF programme may not, therefore, have such a significant impact on sustainability, as the new legislation will help to drive CO2 emissions lower for all buildings.’ But Martin Mayfield, UK, Middle


East and Africa education leader at Arup, warns: ‘An opportunity that is now lost is the volume of schools designs that would have provided projects to apply the 2010 Part L regulations.’ Mayfield describes the loss of


BSF as a ‘significant blow to the construction industry’, with billions of pounds worth of work lost that he believes will hit designers, contractors, and many sub- contractors and suppliers hardest. He says: ‘It could lead to


smaller companies collapsing and redundancies can be anticipated from some larger firms. Margins will be under pressure as those firms engaged in BSF look elsewhere to find work.’ Richard Evans, commercial


director at heater manufacturer Buderus, says shutting BSF would be a blow for the commercial heating industry too: ‘Scrapping the scheme now leaves many contractors with substantial costs in what is already a difficult economic climate for the private sector.’ Evans says the government now needs to put a coherent energy policy in place quickly, to limit the damage to the heating sector. Mayfield says it is imperative


i0522-12 CIBSE AD AW:CIBSE Magazine 190x66 16/6/10 14:29 Page 1 in bid costs that has angered


that, whatever may be considered as a replacement for BSF, it be introduced quickly. If not, the sector risks losing the skills and knowledge built up over the last few years. But it is the millions wasted


In numbers Cuts to school building developments and refurbs


1,592 102 735 151 547 159


Total number of schools that came within the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) scheme*


Local authorities involved with BSF; 88 councils are believed to be affected by BSF cutbacks or reviews


BSF projects cancelled by the government


Projects that are additionally ‘for discussion’. Decisions will be made on an individual basis


Projects that are unaffected by the cuts. All have reached financial close


Projects that have been completed and are also unaffected by the cuts


*Some schools fall into more than one of the above categories Source: Department for Education


Ty Goddard, chief executive of the British Council for School Environments, who also points to the initial confusion over which projects would survive the cuts, following the publication of Gove’s inaccurate list of schools affected. ‘This is a bitter blow for an


industry that Office for National Statistics figures appear to show is deeper in recession than previously thought, says Goddard. ‘The cancellation of BSF leaves much of the school estate beyond its design life and unfit for purpose.’ However, Terry Wyatt, an


adviser to Hoare Lea, believes the closure of BSF could in fact pave the way for future refit projects that could have huge benefits for building services. Wyatt foresees lighting, heating and ventilation becoming major areas for future work, involving high efficiency equipment and controls, with off-site packaged unitary modules being sought – which should bring


important developments to the sector. ‘All in all, I truly believe there is a


new and significant opportunity for our industry – arising and actually assisted by the closure of the BSF programme,’ says Wyatt. Matt Dickinson, partner


and schools specialist at Max Fordham, shares Wyatt’s view, stressing the market has changed, not disappeared. He says: ‘Refurbishment, extending and remodelling existing buildings can be viable to meet energy targets and broader education outcomes and community needs. ‘The worry is that investment


could switch to a narrower view and simply look at building’s condition, not building purpose. I think that would be a loss. ‘The optimistic view is that the


CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme is mandatory; the drive for energy efficiency will not go away with the closure of BSF.’ l


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