The value of recently completed community-based buildings such as schools and health centres delivered by the Scotland-wide hub programme on behalf of Scotland’s public sector has topped £1 billion, new figures have shown.

Managed by the Scottish Futures Trust (SFT), the hub programme is an innovative approach to develop and deliver best-value community facilities that provides public bodies with a quick and efficient way of getting their projects into construction and services delivered in to communities.

Since becoming fully operational in 2012, the five hub companies have handed over 142 projects valued at £1.3bn. A further 67, valued at £1.3bn are either under construction or in the final stages of development which is supporting some 6,100 jobs.

David MacDonald, hub programme director at SFT, said: “Improved value, speed of delivery, increased community benefits and expert project management are just some of the reasons Scotland’s public sector are specifying hub to plan, construct and in many cases, manage their new buildings.”

Completed hub projects include Dunfermline Carnegie Library & Galleries designed by Richard Murphy Architects for Fife Council, which was crowned ‘Best Building in Scotland’ by the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS) in November 2017.

Another award-winning hub project is the Health and Care Centre in Eastwood, East Renfrewshire. During 2017, it received a number of design and healthcare awards, notably from the RIAS and European Healthcare Design.

The ‘reference designed’ health centre brought together the services of East Renfrewshire Council and NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde into one, unique, community-focussed building. This joint occupancy allows the community to access multiple services in one location in a central setting with easy access to GP practices, integrated health and social care services, a community hub facility and a cafe that serves as a focal point for both the community and professionals alike.

The reference design was developed and promoted by SFT as an approach to improve future health centres across Scotland.

John Donnelly, project and development manager with NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde, said of the hub-delivered health centre: “The Health and Care Centre in Eastwood now provides a single base for lots of professionals such as Health Visitors, Social Workers and District Nurses who deliver services to the community to be located side by side, which allows us to provide a much-improved service.”