12:38pm Monday 11th January 2010
By Nafeesa Shan
BUILDING Schools for the Future contractors face fines if any of the premises it maintains cannot open, it has been revealed.
Under the 25-year agreement with Lancashire County Council bosses, Catalyst is hit with financial penalties when a school is forced to close.
The clause in the contract came to light during the heavy snowfall last week which at its peak saw all of East Lancashire’s secondary schools close.
By Thursday all completed Burnley BSF schools were open as normal, unlike many other secondary and primary schools in East Lancashire.
A headteacher in one of Burnley’s completed superschools revealed that Catalyst, which was the chosen developer to create Burnley’s new schools, would be hit with a fine after the school could not open on the first day of term due to problems with heating.
Martin Burgess, head of Shuttleworth College, Burnley Road, Padiham, said: “This is one perk of going through the PFI.
"They have a responsibility to ensure the building is fit for habitation whether that is the clearing the snow in the carparks or ensuring the heating works in the building.
“On Monday for example there was a flood, there were four leaks and the heating failed in three areas so we couldn’t open as a result.
“There will be a huge financial penalty for that."
Mr Burgess explained that the firm did not have to pay if the decision to close the school was taken for matters outside the schools gates.
He said: "On Tuesday the building was usable, but staff had problems getting in so I took that decision.
“Any repairs or clearing the grounds of snow for example would come out of the school’s budget.
“This is a good example of the PFI system working.”
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