WICK CAMPUS | Change of plan, again...

The controversial Wick Campus has so many things wrong with it, that it won't be opening until at least after the Easter school holidays.

Morrison Construction handed over the building to Highland Council as completed, but the local authority has admitted that the facility is still not actually ready for kids to move into, and start learning.

It is another blow to eager Caithness kids wanting to move into their brand new campus, and get on with their education in a facility of the same standard as the central belt's newest schools.

'still to be completed...heating and ventilation system, to resolve hot and cold spots...the swimming pool and leisure facilities, and configuration of the external network connection to enable ICT installation and setup' HIGHLAND COUNCIL

MFR News reported last year that the project had missed its October deadline, and since then the date keeps being rescheduled.

In a statement, which was sent out to members of the Wick Campus stakeholders group by the council's head of resources, care and learning service, Brian Porter, a draft press release included in that email stated: 'Having assessed the building following handover by Hub North Scotland and Morrison Construction, the council has reached the conclusion that the level of snagging and other works still to be completed does not allow it to commence it’s February decant plan, as had previously been advised to stakeholders.

'Over and above general snagging relating to fittings and finish, the particular matters still to be completed include commissioning and balancing of the heating and ventilation system, to resolve hot and cold spots throughout the campus, completion and commissioning of the swimming pool and leisure facilities, and configuration of the external network connection to enable ICT installation and setup.'

Mr Porter is the same Highland Council official who was authorised by Councillor Drew Millar - the man in-charge of the region's schooling - to give MFR News an interview on January 20th, but in an email to our newsroom, Mr Porter later said: "I will not be available for interview." When asked why not, there was no reply, and there has not been any correspondence since.

The local authority claims that "no safety issues are a factor" in the council's decision to further delay the opening of Wick Campus, but that claim comes after an MFR News investigation in January revealed scaffolding underneath a stairwell, hidden inside plasterboard walls...

Our findings, which were taken to local government officials, led to the walls in question being broken through, to prove our claim that scaffolding had been left underneath a stairwell, covered up by plasterboard.

At the time Morrison Construction denied that the scaffolding was left to support the structure and claimed that it had just been abandoned because it was not needed.

Highland Council ordered the scaffolding to be removed, and to date, both the local authority and Morrison Construction maintains the claim that the scaffolding was surplus, and had nothing to do with ensuring safety.

'Temporary scaffolding plays no part in the structural integrity of the finished building at Wick' MORRISON CONSTRUCTION

The building company continues to refuse to talk to MFR News in a recorded interview about the ongoing issues.

On January 11th, we reported that Councillor Millar - a senior figure from Highland Council's independent administration - was calling on Morrison Construction's Highland boss Donald McLachlan to take questions from MFR News.

But as of January 27th, a spokesperson for the firm told our reporter: "Unfortunately we have nobody available for an interview at this time."

Former parent council chair Professor Iain Baikie has warned that officials have only one chance to get the school right before it opens to the kids.

On January 23rd he told MFR News: "The Highland Council arranged for monitoring of this project in July, so if that monitoring was done properly, why has there been scaffolding disguised under a stairwell? It's not appropriate.

"Parents and everybody locally have lost faith that this project has been managed properly.

"If we have a problem up here - our hospital is downgraded, we're two-and-a-half-hours on the road to Inverness, there's a lack of ambulances - so if there was a major incident, it would be compounded by a remoteness."

In a letter from Professor Baikie to First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, he wrote on January 25th: "Parents and members of the public have contacted me asking, is the school safe for their children to occupy?

"They would be greatly reassured by an independent safety assessment coupled with a third party review of the school build.

"Highland Council official Brian Porter had previously written to the stairwell manufacturer asking for reassurance about cracking in the stairwells."

The call for an independent review into the safety of the £48million project was echoed at Holyrood on January 26th, when the Highland MSP Edward Mountain (Conservative) stood up during First Minister's Questions and asked: "Parents in Caithness are rightly very concerned to hear of supporting scaffolding being found behind a completed staircase, and hidden behind a plasterboard wall.

"Will she join me in calling for an independent inquiry into this incident?"

Nicola Sturgeon replied: "I will ask the Education Secretary to look into it, and to answer that specific question to him in writing."

John Swinney has since responded to Mr Mountain, refusing to order an independent inquiry into the safety of Wick Campus, claiming it is a matter for Highland Council, and not an issue for the Scottish Government.

BELOW: A petition has been set up calling for an independent safety review - CLICK HERE to sign it...

On January 31st, the contractor admitted to a meeting of the Wick Campus stakeholder group that scaffolding had been left under a number of stairwells, and concealed behind plasterboard walls.

This was news even to MFR News, because on January 19th, Highland Council only confirmed the existence of hidden scaffolding under one stairwell, but did not tell our news team about all the other stairwells.

That revelation sparked local MSP Gail Ross to tell MFR News: "I think that for the sake of safety there should be an independent assessment to reassure students, parents and teachers."

MFR News asked the local authority whether it has lost faith in the builders.

But the local authority's leader Margaret Davidson is blaming hub North Scotland which coordinated the new developments.

She told MFR News on February 1st : "Some of that's been failing. Morrison Construction is doing their level best to meet requirements, and I'm confident that in the future they will still be a big player in building our schools."

We can't tell you very much about what Margaret Davidson's thoughts are on the issue of these troubled new schools, because our interview with the councillor was stopped by a council official at the time.

Morrison Construction continues to tell us that no one is available for interview, and hub North Scotland continues to ignore our interview requests.

The Scottish Government partly funds new school projects, so we asked the Scottish Government's Economy Secretary Keith Brown about the collection of calamities that the new schools have experienced.

The minister told us: "We do contribute the money, but the projects themselves are taken forward by the council.

"The council are responsible for those schools.

"Of course we have an interest, especially with us providing the money for that, so we're happy to have that discussion with Highland Council, although it's not something they've raised with me directly."

• Wick Campus