Guernsey’s States says it will no longer be working with RG Falla Limited to build a new post-16 campus.

The firm was confirmed in May as being the preferred bidder for the project following what the States says was a competitive tender process. 

The company’s tender was accepted in June.

Plans to create a post-16 campus at Les Ozouets were passed in July.  It was due to open its doors to students in September 2025. 

Now the States says that a restructuring at the building firm has led to it seeking to materially change contract terms. 

It says those alterations would ‘represent an untenable level of risk for such a significant taxpayer-funded project’. 

The States says it has taken the difficult decision to withdraw from the relationship. 

The Education, Sport and Culture Committee is working with the States Procurement Team on other options for a construction partner.  

We’re told that will ‘likely result in some delay’ to the campus being built. 

ESC President Deputy Andrea Dudley-Owen says there was no other option, but this should not be used by detractors looking to ‘point-score’: 

"To say this is very disappointing is an understatement, but we felt we had no choice following recent discussions with R.G. Falla.

The changes it was trying to introduce meant the new terms failed our due diligence processes, which are designed to mitigate the risk to public money when entering large-scale financial commitments such as this build.

Any attempt by political opponents of our model to seize on this as an opportunity for point-scoring would be hugely detrimental to our young people, adult learners and our workforce after all the uncertainty and turbulence of recent years."

Director of Education Nick Haynes says ESC is confident of adjusting its plans to make sure many elements of the reorganisation of secondary education can be delivered within the existing timeline. 

He says he will come back with detailed information on how that can be done ‘as soon as possible’.