Repairs cash go-ahead for crumbling Alness Academy
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REPAIRS are to go ahead to improve Alness Academy after it was condemned as the poorest building in Highland Council’s school estate.
Councillors rubber-stamped the move this week after parents complained about the condition of the 427-pupil school.
Trees are sprouting on parts of the roof and buckets have been deployed to catch rainwater in the 1970s-built school.
Officials were trying to hold back from spending money on maintenance work because the Scottish Government was sending strong signals that money was in the pipeline to demolish and rebuild the school.
But the government grant is tied up in a complicated wrangle and it is not known when it will be freed.
The Scottish Government came under fire for stalling with its funding pledge when the council’s education, children and adult services committee approved the repair work at a meeting on Wednesday.
Liberal Democrat councillor, Alasdair Christie, who until recently chaired the committee, said the school had "suffered" as a result.
Dingwall and Seaforth councillor Graham MacKenzie said the school has been in a poor condition since the 1990s when he was rector there.
He said: "Such was the concern about windows falling, with one narrowly missing a member of staff, that film was placed over the windows to ensure the glass was retained - and that was in 1996. So it’s not a new problem and it needs urgent attention."
Bill Alexander, Highland Council’s head of care and learning, will meet with the parent council later this month to discuss the works.
A Highland Council spokeswoman said: "The cost of repairs to Alness Academy has not been fully quantified yet. We have initial estimates, but need further investigation to determine what is necessary, and to determine the total figure – which we aim to have for committee in January. It is clear however, that it will be several hundred thousand pounds."
