Tain £45m super campus site concerns flagged as alternative location mooted
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PLANS for a new £45 million school super campus on the existing Tain Royal Academy site have been severely criticised by the town’s community council.
It accuses Highland Council of “riding roughshod over genuine concerns”.
The council wants to press ahead with its proposal to construct the campus, catering for three to 18-year-olds, but the process is still at the consultation stage.
The new campus is designed to replace the existing senior school and its community complex, as well as Craighill Primary School, Knockbreck Primary and Gaelic Nursery, St Duthus Special School and Tain Nursery.
Funding is already in place and the council has set a target of the campus being operational by autumn next year.
But in a pre-planning response to the proposal, Tain Community Council claims the academy site “suffers from too many physical constraints to lend itself to a successful development at the scale proposed”.
It says: “We stand by our long considered belief that a greenfield site is by far the more sensible solution to deliver an optimum and future-proofed three-to-18 campus.
“We continue to be disappointed that our concerns and ambitions in this respect have been set aside. We would reiterate our preference for the council to explore the possibility of acquiring the vacant field beside the Asda development.”
Highland Council held meetings with interested parties in Tain in 2014 to take on board local views – and views can still be expressed before the planning process moves to the next stage.
But in a letter to council chief executive Steve Barron, community council chairman David Macdonald argues that the group’s comments have been ignored.
He said “It seems a waste of a consultation process if we can’t influence change, and doesn’t say much for the concept of participation.
“It really isn’t enough these days to provide just ‘a good teaching environment and community facilities’ as you submit. Surely that is the minimum expectation and the community deserves much more.
“Traditionally the school represents the heart of the community. It should be a source of pride and unity, not a focus of division.
“I find it incredible that your officials are willing to impose such a questionable development on our school catchment area, riding roughshod over genuine concerns, while making a minimum attempt to acknowledge or resolve any of the issues raised through your consultation process.
“The design and layout problems are one thing, but the impact on the educational and wider community merit serious examination.
“We fear far-reaching consequences incapable of mitigation – not just through the sensitive build period but ongoing in perpetuity.
“These are readily identifiable and include road safety, visual and residential amenity, drainage, child safety, future-proofing and educational attainment.
“All can be resolved at a stroke with a more sensible choice of site. That site is infinitely superior to the Tain Royal Academy site.”
Local councillor Alasdair Rhind said he was “delighted” with the proposals, as were the majority of people in the community.
He claimed that not all members of the community council were against the plans.
Councillor Rhind said people had been fully consulted, had viewed the plans and provided comments – some negative – which were being looked at by the council.
But he added: “We are in need in Tain of upgrading our school estate, and what we want to do is provide a first class facility for the children of Tain and Easter Ross.”
The community council has since made clear that it has spoken with one voice on the issue and says its deliberations can be verified by minutes of meetings.
A Highland Council spokeswoman said: “The site selection decision was made in 2014, following an appraisal of three possible sites and a consultation period which ran for six weeks.
“Feedback from that consultation indicated a preference from respondents for the existing academy site. That was also the recommendation from an option appraisal prepared by officers.
“Since that time the council has developed the scope of the project and its initial design with input from the local stakeholder group, including community council representatives.
“The council is still in a consultation phase with regard to the design of the new campus, and welcomes comments and feedback on its proposals.”
