PROTEST: St Clement's School petition slamming 'shameful' U-turn gains momentum ahead of crunch Highland Council meeting
A PETITION protesting shock proposals to shelve plans for a much-needed new school for children with additional needs insists they deserve better.
As reported earlier this week, proposals being put to Highland Councillors this week would see St Clement's in Dingwall and plans for a new Park Primary in Invergordon ditched from spending priorities with a total of £120m stripped from the school investment budget.
The building used by children at St Clement's – some of the most vulnerable in the Highlands – has previously been described as "Dickensian" by the local MSP.
Park Primary pupils don't even have a school and have been housed in spare accommodation at Invergordon Academy since two devastating fires robbed them of their own building.
SEE ALSO: From September 2022: St Clement's flit to new site agreed by council committee
Park Primary parents demand end to 'empty promises' over replacement school building
A St Clement's petition started two days ago after we first reported the story states: "Highland Council have decided to do a U turn on the promise of a much-needed new school building for St Clement's.
"How long will children with additional support needs be put last by council bosses?
"The school is not fit for purpose and our children deserve better."
It has already secured more than 600 signatures with heartfelt comments cited by those showing support.
Alison Henderson wrote: "My son attends St Clement's and a new school is absolutely needed. Inverness kids have Drummond school and access to so much more and St Clement's isn't fit for purpose.
"Highland Council should be ashamed."
Ian Gray simply states: "It's a disgrace. St Clement's should be at the top of the list."
Pam Gillies reflects on the impact of sub-standard buildings. "I think children needing support deserve to have a good, safe, reliable building in which to work. Early diagnosis and help make a great difference to children with special needs."
Robert Ross reflects the feelings of many: "The school needs all the funds it was promised. It's a vital part of our community and to ignore its needs and the support the pupils, staff and the families all need is frankly disgusting."
The council claims it cannot afford to build the schools it needs to because the wish list stood at £475 million of investment over five years when it could afford something around £300 million.
However, following a review by council officers it was found that the final sum at current rates stood at well over half a billion pounds and rose in just four months by £91 million.
The report by the head of corporate finance Brian Porter and interim deputy chief executive Kate Lackie blamed everything from inflation to interest rates to the lack of Scottish Government Learning Estate Improvement Programme (LEIP) funding.
It stated: “The review process has indicated that due to rising capital costs and inflation, the costs of delivering the then capital programme had increased from £475 million at March 2023 to £566 million at July 2023.”
