Councillor calls for new schools before homes for city
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AN Inverness councillor has little faith in planners’ promises that new schools will be built before thousands more people move into the new town of Tornagrain and begin moving in to nearby Stratton.
Liberal Democrat Trish Robertson (Culloden and Ardersier) believes the levels of "developer contribution" towards school costs, demanded as part of the planning process, will fall far short of the required finances for additional education provision.
The rate of contribution was recently upgraded and the cost will be borne by the home buyers.
But Cllr Robertson is "unconvinced" by council planners’ insistence that such vital infrastructure will be in place to cater for the new influx of people.
She has discussed her concerns with developers.
She said: "The whole thing is on a knife edge and developer contributions will not cover the full costs of building the necessary schools and medical facilities.
"The money is certainly not there for a school and the council’s current financial situation is dire.
"Unprecedented growth in the Culloden and Smithton area is obviously causing severe problems for schools. The academy is currently over-subscribed by 100.
"There are 8000 houses planned in the next few years. Tornagrain reckons it needs a primary school by 2023, Stratton really needs one now.
"We’ve got demountables [static cabins] in Smithton for the extension at the moment and they’re to remain there until Stratton Primary is built.
"It means children lose green space. It’s a question of educational attainment but if kids aren’t getting exercise outside, that doesn’t help their general wellbeing."
She added that Duncan Forbes Primary had a "demountable" added this year and would face a significantly greater demand.
The council’s independent-led minority administration has already petitioned the Scottish Government for extra school funding.
A spokesman for the Scottish Government said the council was receiving £63 million towards the construction of five school projects it had identified for priority investment.
Cllr Robertson acknowledged that, but said several of schools need urgent upgrades or replacement.
Andrew Howard, of Moray Estates which is developing Tornagrain, said: "Children of primary age will be taught in Croy until the potential school roll in Tornagrain reaches around 100. At this point the first of the three planned primary schools will be delivered.
"We’re in discussions with the council about the details. The project contributes to the education budget to ensure Croy Primary is able to accommodate the increase in pupil numbers.
"A high school is planned for Tornagrain but the school roll from the community and surrounding villages is unlikely to be large enough to justify the school until the 2030s at the earliest."
At Stratton, developers Hazledene said a site allocated for a new school was "transferred to the council ahead of schedule".
Highland Council’s education chairman Andrew Baxter said: "It’s an age-old problem of developers making huge profits out of new housing and not contributing to a sufficient level for local infrastructure.
"The changes we made will go some way towards that. No doubt we’ll have to review it over the next few years."
