2.14 The Department had originally planned to deliver the College's new permanent facilities by September 1997. By August 1995 it had doubts as to whether it was achievable. It had yet to seek planning permission for Camberley's redevelopment and a further six months of design work would have been needed before construction there could have begun. On deciding in September 1995 to explore a PFI solution, the Department subsequently confirmed the planned delivery date as September 1999. The Department was still keen, however, to obtain the operational benefits arising from the establishment and collocation of the College. It therefore decided in February 1996 to establish interim facilities so that the College could start delivering joint courses on a collocated site by September 1997.
2.15 The Department considered that there would be additional benefits from establishing the College before its permanent home was ready. There would be more accurate information on how a joint college would function and its cost. This, in turn, would enable the Department to obtain a better deal on the new facilities and enable the eventual contractor to have a better view of the Department's requirements and thus to produce improved designs. This phased approach would also be less risky than the alternative of establishing a new College in new, permanent facilities.
2.16 There were, however, disadvantages to the Department's phased approach. Extra costs would be incurred in providing the additional temporary accommodation needed at Bracknell. Delivering the new course ahead of the facilities also meant more disruption as some of the College's operations had to be moved twice from the single Service facilities to the interim joint facilities and then to the permanent home when ready.
2.17 The College completed the interim facilities within the £10 million budget it had set and opened these on time in September 1997. Completion of these facilities allowed the College to vacate the Naval College at Greenwich and the Army Staff College at Camberley. The lease to the Greenwich site was handed over to the University of Greenwich in July 1998, and Camberley was occupied by the Army Medical Services as its headquarters.