Controversial plans for a private finance initiative redevelopment of Pimlico School have been thrown into fresh doubt after the European Commission accused Westminster City Council of breaking European procurement rules.
The commission is to write to the Treasury setting out its concerns over the awarding of the £50m contract to the St George Square Partnership, a consortium made up of Kier, Costain, Tilbury Douglas and architect Ellis Williams.
The commission has the power to take breaches of procurement rules to the European Court of Justice. If found guilty of an infringement, Westminster may have to retender the project.
The St George Square team was selected in July 1998 by the school’s board of governors, then chaired by home secretary Jack Straw.
Straw, whose two children attended the school, resigned his position two months later after opponents accused him of trying to push through the PFI scheme against the wishes of parents.
The commission does not believe a negotiated procedure was justified
Commission Statement
The commission’s action follows a complaint by residents opposed to the scheme, which will see architect John Bancroft’s iconic 1970 building demolished and a quarter of the
1.6 ha school grounds sold to the consortium for housing.
Tim Joiner, chair of Westminster’s education committee, said the council was liaising with the government about the commission’s intervention, but it intended to “press ahead with this much-needed project for a brand new school as we do not see any reason to delay”.
A commission statement said: “The commission has decided to send a reasoned opinion to the UK concerning the award of a contract to redevelop Pimlico School in Westminster, London. The contracting authorities used a negotiated procedure and the commission does not believe that this procedure was justified by the circumstances. The commission therefore considers that the UK has infringed the terms of the Procurement of Construction Works directive.”
