This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Construction of £25m science centre
10/08/2004
Construction has begun on the £25 million headquarters for Scotland's Agricultural Science Agency (SASA), bringing together laboratory and field work on a single site.
The new premises at Gogarbank near Edinburgh, due to be completed by the end of 2005, will provide modern, purpose-designed laboratory and glasshouse facilities under one roof.
Rural Development Minister Ross Finnie today marked the start of construction by cutting the first sod for the new building.
Mr Finnie said:
"SASA plays a key role in preventing costly pests and diseases from damaging our important agricultural industry, in carrying out testing to ensure quality of seed crops, and in helping to ensure that farming activity does not damage the health of Scotland's people and its environment.
"The move to Gogarbank Farm will help to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of that work through the use of improved facilities, better sharing of information and improved patterns of working."
The Scottish Agricultural Science Agency (SASA) is an Agency of the Scottish Executive Environment and Rural Affairs Department. The principal functions of SASA are to provide the appropriate scientific input - tests, diagnoses and analyses - for the implementation and enforcement of legislation and regulations in the areas of crops and environmental protection.
SASA's work varies from the prevention of crop losses owing to disease in planting materials, to the assessment of pesticide load in the diet, and the operation of the statutory Seed Potato Classification Scheme.
SASA is also the Official Seed Testing Station for Scotland. The Agency employs a total of some 160 staff. Many of the Agency's scientists are plant biologists, specialising in aspects of taxonomy, pathology, biochemistry or molecular biology. Some are analytical chemists, although there are also smaller groups of zoologists and farm surveyors.
Staff of SASA are actively involved in UK and International Technical Committees, as representatives of the Environment and Rural Affairs Department, permitting the Agency to contribute to, and benefit from, a wide range of scientific developments. The statutory and regulatory work of SASA is supported by a continuing programme of research and development.
Since the mid 1920s, SASA has been based at East Craigs, at the western side of Edinburgh. In the 1970s its field trial work was transferred to Government owned land at Gogarbank Farm, near Ratho. The field trial work comprises trials for the registration of new varieties of potatoes, field peas, turnip rape, swedes and vegetable crops; control plots for potato classification and seed certification; and training plots for crop inspectors.
NB. Although SASA has a role in the monitoring and enforcement of GM crop trials, when operated by others, it does not undertake any such trials itself, nor are any carried out at Gogarbank.
Following a series of earlier strategic reviews, major Option Appraisals were undertaken during the period 1997 to 1999, by external consultants. The conclusions reached were that seeking to upgrade or rebuild the premises at East Craigs would not be viable; and that, after assessing various potential sites, relocation to Gogarbank Farm was the best option in economic and operational terms.
The new complex has been designed with a single storey Entry Building at the south of the site, containing central facilities such as staff cafeteria, library and meeting rooms. This leads to the main part of the building, comprising four 2-storey laboratory wings, housing chemistry, diagnostics and molecular biology, virology & zoology, plant health, and the potato, cereals, herb & veg Sections, the wildlife unit, pesticide usage surveyors, and the Official Seed Testing Station.
Glasshouses and agricultural storage buildings are located separately at the north of the site. A smaller glasshouse unit, for plant quarantine work, is, however, physically attached to one of the laboratory wings. Computer-generated visualisations of the new HQ when completed are shown on SASA's website www.sasa.gov.uk.
Following advertising and competitive tendering, the contract for the building of the new facilities was awarded last month to Sir Robert McAlpine Ltd. The value of the contract is some £25m (excluding VAT).
Construction of the new Headquarters is programmed for completion by the end of 2005. The process of transferring staff and equipment from East Craigs to the new premises will then take place in early 2006. The East Craigs site will then be vacated and sold for residential development.