'Shocked and deeply disappointed': Fire-devastated Park Primary School community protests proposed shelving of Invergordon rebuild project
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AN Easter Ross school community has voiced shock over plans to shelve the rebuilding of a primary devastated by fire more than three years ago.
A petition set up on behalf of Park Primary in Invergordon comes amid shock over proposed cuts to a raft of school projects on Highland Council's wish list.
Fury over "broken promises" has raged since the the proposals – which will be discussed at a full council meeting tomorrow – first emerged.
Long-delayed proposals for a new school to replace "Dickensian" St Clement's in Dingwall have also triggered a petition.
Park Primary School in Invergordon was tragically destroyed by an accidental fire in February 2020, the site suffering a second blaze a year later.
A petition protesting the prospect of Highland Council turning its back on earlier agreements has been launched.
It states: "Since 2020 the children of Park Primary have been taught in temporary accommodation and within the Invergordon Academy building.
"Parents and stakeholders had been consulted and agreed to rebuild the school on its existing site. The remains of the school have been demolished and the site lies empty.
"Please show your support as we ask the Highland Council to reconsider and go ahead with the rebuild of our school.
We have several questions that have so far gone unanswered which we wish to put to the chief executive after this decision was seemingly made with no consultation of the school, parent council or local community."
Elizabeth Macphail, Park Parent Council chairwoman, told the Ross-shire Journal: "We are all shocked and deeply disappointed at the news that we will remain in temporary accommodation for the foreseeable future.
We just don't understand the logic behind this decision – we were at planning stage 3 which means that our school had already been designed and it was at the stage of putting it to the local community. So to then abandon all the work that has been done just doesn't make sense.
"In terms of finances we were told that we were just £1 million pounds over the expected budget so to remove the entire £14 million from our build for the sake of £1 million just doesn't make sense. Also that £14 million had been applied to from the Scottish Government specifically to rebuild our school so I would have thought that legally they would have to spend the money in its intended purpose.
"Not to mention they had the children working with Robertson's construction to design their new school before the summer holidays. What are we supposed to tell our children? It was all a lie and although you have had so many promises of a rebuild it all means nothing? Are we not teaching a generation of children that adults cannot be held to their word?
"We have been in contact with our local councillors and we would just ask all those voting on Thursday to think about what their decision means for children who have already been through so much and have been promised much. Is it not time to start delivering on those promises!"
Read also: Pictures: Easter Ross primary devastated by major blaze amid calls for 'immediate' assistance
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