WATCH: Wick Campus contractor refuses to talk to MFR News
Council tells Morrison Construction to come clean on Wick Campus.
Last updated 2nd Feb 2018
Pressuring's mounting on Morrison Construction to break their silence over delays and building faults at Wick Campus, which should have opened to Caithness kids last October.
The firm's refusing to talk to MFR News in a recorded interview about the reasons for the issues, and now a senior Highland Council figure from the administration is calling for company bosses to come clean, and take questions from MFR News.
A spokesperson at Morrison Construction told our reporter Bryan Rutherford: "Unfortunately, we won't be making anyone available."
The company directed him to a previous statement released to the media. It stated:
'We will continue to work closely with all stakeholders to ensure the building will be completed as soon as possible.
'We are committed to providing a modern environment for the community to enjoy and a stimulating learning environment for both pupils and staff.'
Today our newsroom is reporting on a photo which has emerged, showing a stairwell on the development being held up by scaffolding, sparking fears for pupil safety.
An anonymous source has been telling us about "windows randomly smashing, leaking roof with wheelie bins catching the water, now this shocking discovery of scaffold holding up the stairs."
CLICK HERE FOR OUR FULL VIDEO REPORT ON THIS.
Councillor Drew Millar is in-charge of Highland Council's schools, and he told us: "We've been let down by hub North Scotland and the contractor. It's their responsibility, completely their responsibility. We are just the client, and we are going to buy the goods off them, when they are fit to be sold, and at the moment they are certainly not fit to be sold.
"We're trying to learn from our mistakes in the past, by accepting buildings too early because there was pressure on them. There is no pressure on pupils to go into Wick Campus at the moment, so therefore we're holding our line quite strongly that we will not accept this building until we are satisfied.
The councillor added: "Given the controversy down in the central belt with the schools last year, that's one of the reasons why we're not taking that risk. Our officials have to make sure that that building is completely safe for the children. That is our priority. That's why we will not be accepting this building until we are 100-per-cent sure that that building is safe to go into."
Doors won't open to school kids until at least the end of February.
BELOW: MFR News has been told that the ÂŁ48million facility will be over budget, but the region's local authority says Highland Council taxpayers will not pick up the bill...