Page 11 - link magazine

53 SwinDon
North Swindon JL BOROUGH COUilCIL

Schools PFI Project ffEquion

In May of this year, Swindon Borough Council appointed Equion as it's Preferred

Bidder on the North Sivindon Schools PFI Project. The project will see seven new

schools being built in North Sivindon over the next two years.

Learninn Camvus: Alain Entrance

UNDER the Private Finance Initiative that the new schools will showcase the contract with Equion in early Autumn.
the Government is seeking the delivery best of design and construction industry
Education and access to lifelong learning
of high quality buildings and services practise in this country, producing
for all is a key priority for the Council
and therefore this scheme will provide buildings that are inspirational and
and this exciting project is a great
the Council with a great opportunity to providing education access for all ages.
opportunity to develop a model for
raise the standard of school buildings in
The Council's Education department community education that will provide
the Borough, which in turn will have a
together with Equion recently promoted the blue print for future new build and
positive impact on education attainment.
the designs for the new schools with a adaptations of schools across Swindon.
The management of the facilities series of 2-day road shows. These were
services such as cleaning, maintenance,
held at the existing schools that are being
catering etc by the Council's Preferred
rebuilt through the Project and were Secondary School 1: School Street.
Bidder, Equion, will allow teachers to
well attended by local residents, parents,
concentrate on teaching rather than day-
school staff and pupils. The road shows
to-day accommodation issues.
proved an excellent opportunity for
The Council believes that a partnership Equion and the Council to begin their
approach is the best way forward and that twenty-five year partnership.
with Equion it will achieve a successful
The Planning Applications for the scheme
long term partnership that will allow
were submitted in June 2004 and the
the schools involved to develop and
models for the new schools, together with i4
build on their success as educational
drawings of the designs, are currently on
establishments. The Council and Equion
display in the North Swindon Library.
do not know what the future may hold • T'
but they have sought to design schools The Council is now engaged in finalising
that are flexible, inclusive and personal the detail of the designs with the various
to the community. The Council believes stakeholders and is aiming to sign the