The CICV Forum has written to the Scottish government鈥檚 minister for local government, housing and planning Kevin Stewart outlining a series of proposals, which it says would minimise costs and interventions.
Suggested measures include repurposing existing vacant property near schools, or building temporary accommodation in suitable locations with a common design approach, including fit-out, to ensure compliance with site operating procedures (SOPs).
The plan has been inspired by other emergency situations, including the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans and the fire at the Glasgow School of Art.
The Forum claims the measures would ensure the health and safety of staff and pupils, and also stimulate the economy by providing a pipeline of work for consultants and contractors.聽
Hew Edgar, chair of the Futures sub-group of the Forum and interim head of UK Policy at the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), said: 鈥淲e have a wealth of consultants and contractors who could participate in such a project.
鈥淪cottish contracting, manufacturing and supplier industries could quickly gear up to meet this pressing need for children, staff, families and the economy, and therefore maximise the economic multiplier benefits for the country.鈥�
The move comes after John Swinney, MSP, the deputy first minister and cabinet secretary for education and skills, said on 23rd June that the current aim was to reopen schools full time rather than using a 鈥渂lended model鈥�.
In its letter, the Forum says: 鈥淲e have discussed the potential for the industry to adopt steps by which a full return to learning may take place and suggest there are a spectrum of measures to minimise cost and the need for intervention.
鈥淭hese include the rapid identification of opportunities to build temporary accommodation, such as modular buildings/marquees etc, in school playgrounds or adjacent fallow ground to increase school capacity.
鈥淭hese could each follow a common design approach, and fitted out to minimise the possibility of cross-contamination between students both inside and outside the classroom.
鈥淐ontractors on the internal fit-out of these units could undertake the work and by being a generic design, a programme of works be established to ensure compliance with SOPs.
鈥淚f such design principles were agreed, suppliers across Scotland will respond which would stimulate the construction industry and create a solution to ensure the continued education of Scotland鈥檚 school pupils during this time.
鈥淭his will create a short-term pipeline of work for consultants and contractors across Scotland and the right environment for the continuation of existing apprentices work-based evidence and future apprenticeship opportunities.鈥�
The letter endorses earlier suggestions by the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland, which has already written to Stewart regarding innovative thinking on the subject of school capacity during the crisis.
Hew added: 鈥淪cotland is very well based to deliver such a programme with the quality of construction consultants within the industry, quality of contractors and using the Construction Scotland Innovation Centre.
鈥淚t would, of course, be essential that the temporary accommodation be built of sustainable materials and consideration given to their future use when we are in the positive position where they can be removed and CICV Forum would be very happy to work with the Scottish government, and Public Health Scotland, on this proposal.鈥�
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