Governing body had little choice as school was not fit for purpose

Madam,

It is relevant to consider the context in which the decision was taken to provide a new building for Penweddig School under the Private Finance Initiative.

I was chair of the governors at that time and the matter was debated long and hard before opting for PFI. Not a single member of the governing body saw this course as an attractive approach but in essence we had little choice.

Penweddig was housed on the site of the old Ardwyn Grammar School which opened in 1896. It was clearly no longer fit for purpose and as governors we were continually being advised on the unsuitability of the building.

The advice highlighted health and safety issues which could have resulted in serious injury, temporary classrooms that were disintegrating and that it was all but impossible to introduce and maintain high-tech facilities.

The prospect of central government grant-aid to finance a new school was negligible. The 21st Century Capital Schools Programme was not announced by the Welsh Assembly Government until December 2011 and it was only from that point onwards that Wales experienced significant investment in new school buildings.

As your article indicates, PFI was introduced in 1992 by a Conservative administration under the premiership of John Major. For Janet Finch Saunders – a Conservative Assembly Member – to now discover PFI as being toxic is little more than superficial point-scoring and rank hypocrisy.

Yours etc,

Dr Geraint Evans, Talybont, Aberystwyth.

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