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Council defend denying local builders a chance      7/4/11

About half the money spent on the new Uist schools will be exported off the islands while the rest is going to local companies says the Comhairle.

Following criticism from councillor Peter Carlin that island firms should have been given a chance to price the Daliburgh primary school contract, the Comhairle issued a statement highlighting the benefits of the outside firm to the local economy.

Mr Carlin said that that automatically awarding the South Uist school deal to the FMP joint venture group denied an important opportunity to see if the islands’ construction sector could beat or match the outside concern.

Some in the building sector feel that the council’s figure of £8 million benefiting Uist would be much higher if a local firm got the job as the on-island supply chain would reduce the cash leakage out of the local economy. Some reckon recycling the money within the Western Isles would have had long lasting benefits for years.   

The council’s press release coincided its main building partner in the six schools’ project announcing its annual results. The giant multi-national, Irish headquartered CRH Plc group, which owns Farrans, said its profits slumped to a meagre £469 million.

Meanwhile, despite the council’s statement indicating otherwise, it is still unclear if a new full sized sports pitch, as promised to the community, will go-ahead for Daliburgh.

The existing pitch will be built over by construction of the new school but it is believed factors outwith the council’s control are holding up final confirmation.