John Cole will lead the investigation schedueled to start in the autumn
Edinburgh council has appointed architect John Cole to lead the independent inquiry into building defects which forced the closure of 17 PFI schools across the city.
Cole, an architect by profession, is a specialist in the quality of design, procurement and construction of public sector buildings.
He is also working on the delivery of major public projects in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, including a 拢600m paediatric hospital in Dublin and a 拢180m campus to provide six secondary schools on a single shared site in Omagh.
The schools, operated by PFI consortium Edinburgh Schools Partnership, were closed from April to repair storm damage.
Eight of the schools 鈥� Oxgangs and St Peter鈥檚 Primary Schools, Braidburn School, Firrhill High School, Pirniehall, St David鈥檚, Broomhouse and St Joseph鈥檚 have reopened. Pupils from Rowanfield School will return earlier than planned on Monday 27 June.
The remaining primary schools 鈥� Craigour Park, Forthview, Craigroyston and Castleview 鈥� will be handed back during the summer break, as will Craigmount, Gracemount, Drummond and Royal High Schools.
A report from the council鈥檚 corporate policy and strategy committee into the building defects said that early indications pointed to a 鈥渃onstruction quality matter鈥� as opposed to a design defect or the operating model.
A joint venture between Amey and Miller Construction 鈥� bought by Galliford Try in 2014 鈥� bui