Parents of pupils at Ross-shire additional support needs school remain cautious over new-build plans; Progress in long-running saga over school buildings condemned unfit for purpose welcomed
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Parents of pupils at St Clements special school in Dingwall remain cautious after Highland Council revealed that not one but two possible sites were being looked at in the town for a potential replacement to the outdated building.
The local authority has been under pressure for some time to find an answer to the problem of St Clement's, which despite the hard work of teachers, is frequently criticised for the state of the Victorian-era building.
Now parents have been briefed the council has already undertaken ground investigation work at Ferry Road in Dingwall – one of "several sites" considered for a potential replacement school.
A further review of potential sites in Dingwall has identified another option for consideration, and an assessment similar to that under way at Ferry Road will be carried out on that site.
“Nowhere in the whole region is there an entire school roll of children without basic facilities or a lack of facilities that mean disabled children going outside in the rain to access the toilet? This is not a matter of competing demands but a matter of basic human rights. Covid has not prevented progress on other school developments and cannot be used as an excuse for the decades long neglect of disabled children." – Christyna Ferguson
The outcome of the site investigations and potential costs associated will help inform an appraisal of the options for a development.
Local councillors and officers met with parents from the school on Monday to provide an update on the work being undertaken to assess potential sites.
But Christyna Ferguson who sits on the parent council sub-group for the new school and has been spearheading the campaign for a new building said she remains wary – but warmly welcomed the development.
“The Parent Council are reassured by good communication and the significant efforts made by Highland Council to progress a new school build. We have had a number of very positive and productive meetings this year,” she said.
“We do, however, remain cautious – the school build is not on the capital plan having previously been identified as a priority and the Education Committee's default comments are cause for concern.
“Nowhere in the whole region is there an entire school roll of children without basic facilities or a lack of facilities that mean disabled children going outside in the rain to access the toilet?
“This is not a matter of competing demands but a matter of basic human rights. Covid has not prevented progress on other school developments and cannot be used as an excuse for the decades long neglect of disabled children.
“We are however encouraged by the ongoing community support, we are very grateful to the Dingwall community and urge everyone to support us in any way they can.”
Background
St Clement’s School was identified as one of 11 priority schools for future funding bids to the Scottish Government in March 2018.
The Tain 3-18 campus was subsequently included in Phase 1 of the Scottish Government’s Learning Estate Investment Programme announced in September 2019, with Broadford Primary School and Nairn Academy included in Phase 2 of the programme announced in December 2020.
unding for all three projects was included in the council’s re-profiled capital programme that was approved in January 2021.
Initial site option appraisal work was undertaken for St Clement’s in the late summer and autumn of 2018, the council says.
Highland Council has undertaken various engagement sessions and it was agreed that there would be a review of the potential locations for a new school prior to initiating a formal statutory consultation process on the location and nature of a replacement facility for St Clement’s, "should funding be made available".
The potential site at Ferry Road was put forward at a Major Pre-Application Advice meeting last year. Thereafter, the Covid-19 pandemic and the UK wide lockdown from 23 March "had a significant impact on progress with this appraisal work and other council activities".
A statutory consultation can proceed once that initial appraisal work is complete, and following further informal engagement with parents, before commencing a formal statutory consultation on a new school.
The council said it "remains committed to improving the environment for our young people attending St Clement's, however funding to deliver a new school still has to be identified".
It added: "The council has a range of competing demands for investment, across the school estate and other infrastructure requirements. The pandemic has also significantly impacted the council’s financial position, and in turn the council is having to re-assess its longer term financial plans and capital investment in light of that.
"The council will continue to work collectively with parents, local elected members, local MSPs and other stakeholders, to achieve consensus on the best long-term solution for a replacement for St Clement's."
More on the story from the Ross-shire Journal archive
