‘Why was a Jersey firm chosen for school build?’
The awarding of the contract to redevelop the old St Peter Port School to a Jersey company was disappointing for the local industry, said Guernsey Construction Forum chairman John Bampkin.
Education, Sport & Culture announced this week that the Rok Group, one of Jersey’s major building firms, was the chosen bidder for the project, which will develop a new home for The Guernsey Institute at Les Ozouets.
It is already undertaking the demolition of the site. Building should start early next year.
‘I think the industry should be disappointed that nobody succeeded from Guernsey,’ said Mr Bampkin. ‘Obviously it’ll mean less tax revenue for the island.’
He believed that there were local firms which could have taken on the project and said he would like to know more about why it was awarded off-island.
‘If we can get some transparency around the major contractor and understand what that looks like, then that’s fine.’
Mr Bampkin hoped the forum would be given general information about why the contract went to Rok. While cost might have been one factor, he said the tax revenue that could have accrued to Guernsey, even by accepting a higher bid from a local firm, needed to have been considered.
‘Then if it was still that we were too expensive, well that’s fine.’
He wondered if it might be due to the Jersey construction industry being quieter at the moment, and Rok wanting to provide work for its staff.
‘But if there’s anything else – quality of work, speed of response, lack of resources, or the quality of the tender, then we’d like to know.’
Mr Bampkin had no criticism of Rok as a contractor, he said.
‘I know them well. We have a business that deals with them in Jersey and they’re very reputable.’
Guernsey Building Trades Employers’ Association president Steve Roussel said that several local construction companies would have the skills and experience to undertake the Les Ozouets project.
‘I would assume that they were invited to tender,’ he said.
‘Construction firms’ ability to offer the cost-competitive tender for a major project will often be affected by whatever other work they are currently undertaking or are committed to and in this instance the States have evaluated that and Jersey based firm Rok’s bid offered best value.’
He added that he was ‘very pleased’ that Rok was planning to sub-contract to local firms to deliver the project.
The Education Committee said that Rok was chosen from a competitive tender process where local bidders were encouraged to tender. It ‘offered the most financially and operationally competitive offer’.
It said that the group now had a Guernsey-registered operation and had committed to use local subcontractors where appropriate.
The Guernsey Press contacted Rok Group but it declined the opportunity to comment.
