Revealed: Glasgow School of Art rebuild was six weeks behind and needing another £430k before the second fire

THE project to restore Glasgow School of Art after the first devastating blaze was running late before it was gutted by the second fire, we can reveal.

The main contractor had asked for £430,000 to cover the costs of the six-week overrun but the claim was being disputed by bosses.

Art school managers were also concerned any further delay to the project “might not be affordable”.

Reports into the progress of the restoration project, compiled a month before the fire, show the main contractor – Kier Construction – had requested a six-week extension, with a predicted completion date of March 2019.

As a result, the firm submitted a claim for an additional £429,000 – but art school officials were disputing this was a “proper cost” for it to bear. A meeting was due to take place to discuss the issue with Kier’s Scottish managing director at the end of June, according to the newly-published board papers.

But the building was devastated by fire on June 15.

Two weeks later the GSA and Kier issued a statement saying they had “jointly agreed” to end the contract. A report dated May 2018 on the progress of the Mackintosh Restoration Project, said the project was still working to the original budget of £61.75 million.

It went on to note an extended completion date of March 11, 2019 had resulted in a claim by Kier for an additional £429,000 as a result – much of which was due to a “extended scaffold hire”.

The report added: “We are disputing both the amount and the justification that all of this is a proper cost for GSA to bear – there will be a meeting in late June to discuss this with Kier’s Scottish MD – but we are allowing for £500,000 of added cost as a result of delay.”

An update given at a board meeting in June also noted: “A six-week extension of time has been granted. “Although a provision of £500k has been included as a result, we are disputing the amount and the justification.”

A former senior member of GSA staff said: “The information we now have from these minutes is at odds with the description of the ‘amicable’ relationship between Kier and GSA that the MD of Kier presented to the Parliamentary committee this week.

“We heard there were regular meetings, controls and joint oversight in place.

“It’s hard to imagine therefore how a dispute over such a large sum of money could have arisen at this late stage in the project.”

A progress report from November 2017 also noted building control had said it was no longer necessary to use fire-retardant paint for woodwork.

At last week’s Scottish Parliament culture committee, MSPs heard vent ducts which allowed the first fire at the GSA to take hold four years ago were still in place when the second blaze broke out.

Kier said it was “inappropriate to comment on specifics whilst the investigation is ongoing”.

The Glasgow School of Art said: “We were in the process of negotiating a possible extension date with Kier, but we were still on schedule.

“We were also looking into additional costs, but making sure that even with these costs the overall restoration project would still come in on budget.

“Fire Prevention within the Mackintosh Building was critical and we had therefore planned a number of enhanced protection measures.”