Tain Campus overlooked for funding from Highland Council

Highland Council annouced Beauly, Dunvegan and Kiltearn Primary School estates would be allocated funds for the Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) expansion programme.

11 schools labelled 'priorities' by the local authority would rely on the Council successfully bidding for money from the Scottish Government to provide a budget for new school buildings and improvements.

Highland Council are drawing up plans to apply for £25 million from the Scottish Government and would match the funding with £25 million from Council capital investment creating a pot of £50 million for school improvements.

Wendy Hennem from Tain Parent Council said:

'We have seen the announcement from Highland Council and our reaction is twofold really.

'We are happy the 3 schools mentioned are getting investment and understand that the money for that investment is coming from the Scottish Government capital allocation for the Early Learning and Childcare expansion programme.

'We also acknowledge that a Tain 3 to 18 campus is still one of 11 priority projects for Highland Council and that their capital planning budget now assumes £50M capital over 5 years to support these projects. This proposed investment is based on £25million of Council funding plus an assumed successful bid to Scottish Government for a further £25million.

'It’s very clear to us though that £50million will just not be enough to tackle all 11 schools and so we would make a heartfelt plea to HC to do all it can to move forward with the project in Tain, confirm the results of the site selection consultation last year in which the majority of people in Tain seemed to vote for the Craighill site and carry out any work required to get the Tain 3 to 18 campus shovel ready in time to apply for funds from the Scottish Futures fund when it opens later this year.

'We are concerned that a project as big as the one in Tain will require a significant proportion of the £50M that is potentially available and we are only one of the 11 priorities for this money but we would urge HC not to let that stop them moving forward with our new school and can they look at other ways in which they can generate more funding to support all 11 projects.

'In Tain we just want and desperately need a new school and time has been ticking by with no visible progress seeming to be made – our message is still the same – “we need a new school”.'

Chair of the Care, Learning and Housing Committee, John Finlayson, said: 'Investing in improvements to our Highland school estate is a priority for the Highland Council and a subject of great importance to all parents and stakeholders within our communities.

'The Council is working hard to deliver the SG commitment to expand ELC provision by August 2020.

'This is one of the key priorities of the Council, as is the commitment to continue the programme of refurbishment and renovation of Highland schools.'

Eleven schools were agreed to be priorities: These include a Tain 3-18 campus; Nairn and Fortrose secondary schools; schools in Invergordon; Beauly, Broadford, Dunvegan and Tarradale primaries; St. Clements school and primaries in Alness and Kiltearn.

Budget Leader Alister Mackinnon said: 'The Council’s capital planning now assumes £50million of capital over 5 years to support the eleven specific school priorities we have identified out of our total school estate of over 200 schools.

'The proposed capital investment is based on £25million of Council funding plus an assumed successful bid to Scottish Government for a further £25million, when this process opens later this year.

'However, £50million would not be sufficient to address the capital investment required for all 11 schools.

'We appreciate that communities want the best possible schools and are doing everything we possibly can to be bid-ready to make the funding case for these schools.

'We will continue to engage with the Scottish Government and the Scottish Futures Trust, with regard to the 11 priorities and the wider school estate within Highland and will continue to pro-actively make the case for investment in Highland schools.'