MANY building defects have been discovered at public buildings across Edinburgh in the wake of the dramatic closure of 17 schools two years ago.
One in eight properties inspected by the council have thrown up similar issues to those which caused a wall to collapse at a city primary school in January 2016.
Nine tons of masonry fell from Oxgangs Primary School during Storm Gertrude, with inspectors blaming shoddy construction.
Professor John Cole, who led an independent inquiry into the scandal, later ruled it was simply a matter of "timing and luck" that no children were killed.
Now it has emerged building faults have been identified at 19 other schools, libraries and community centres across the city - with 154 public buildings assessed so far.
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Councillor Callum Laidlaw, education spokesman for Edinburgh’s Conservative group, said the findings were a “huge concern”.
He said: “Looking at this – on top of all the bigger projects we have – I do struggle to see how we will make ends meet.
“Clearly, education has to be a priority, and we have to make sure the buildings are safe and fit for purpose. I think we are going to have to make some tough decisions.
“We really have to prioritise the safety of everyone, but particularly children and young people in the community.”
Oxgangs was one of 17 schools built as part of a public-private partnership scheme – also known as a private finance initiative – by Edinburgh Schools Partnership (ESP) between 2002 and 2005.
Its shock closure after a wall collapsed in high winds in January 2016 led to safety fears at all 17 schools across the city, causing disruption for 8,300 primary, secondary and nursery pupils.
The council has since been carrying out inspections at all public buildings and extensions constructed since 1995.
A report by the Accounts Commission, the public spending watchdog, said Oxgangs' wall collapse had revealed “serious faults in the procurement, design and construction” of the schools, adding: “These faults could have led to life-threatening consequences.”
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But it revealed the 19 other buildings where defects have been found include those financed through “the traditional publicly funded route” as well private finance schemes.
It is understood the faults unearthed by inspectors, which have now been fixed, all relate to ties used to connect the walls to steel beams – leaving them potentially unstable in heavy winds.
The Accounts Commission report also said completion certificates were still outstanding for two schools, in breach of building regulations, but had now been submitted by ESP.
News of the defects comes as Edinburgh faces a £153 million repairs backlog over the next five years, following a “history of underinvestment” in its estate.
The report stressed the "need for councils to ensure that standards of quality and service" in building standards are maintained, despite the pressure on local authority budgets.
It said the discovery of the faults "signifies the importance of all councils in Scotland undertaking regular, comprehensive structural risk assessments and inspections on public buildings to ensure the safety of service users".
Graham Sharp, chair of the Accounts Commission, said councils needed to ensure they could maintain the safety of public buildings in the face of reduced resources.
He said: "The City of Edinburgh Council responded quickly and comprehensively to the wall collapse at Oxgangs Primary School. However, all councils in Scotland must ensure public buildings in their care are regularly checked and appropriately maintained.
"While reduced resources mean councils must make difficult decisions about service provision, they should have an appropriate level of expertise to deliver and safely maintain buildings. People must have confidence in the safety and integrity of public buildings."
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A council spokeswoman said: “We welcome the Accounts Commission’s report, which addresses the lessons to be learned by all local authorities following the collapse of a wall at Oxgangs Primary.
“The safety of the public is of utmost importance to the City of Edinburgh Council and we fully acknowledge the need for regular, comprehensive structural assessments of public buildings and are in the process of delivering a series of actions identified by Professor John Cole in an independent report into the closure of Edinburgh schools in 2016.”
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