News / SIC set to seek assistance to fund new high school
SHETLAND Islands Council is set to apply for Scottish Futures Trust funding to help pay for a new Anderson High School at the Lower Staney Hill site.
While the final price tag for a still to be designed school, and with additional needs facilities plus games hall is still unknown, the government has made it clear that at “national standards” an 11,000 square metre “off the shelf” school should cost no more than £30.25 million.
Following a 90 minute discussion, the council’s education committee unanimously agreed to also include the provision of a new residential accommodation facility for pupils from the outer isles to their recommendations, all of which will have to be ratified by Wednesday’s meeting of the full council.
The possible breakthrough in the funding deadlock for the new high school came after Scottish cabinet secretary for education Michael Russell told a council delegation last month that he would welcome an application to the Scottish Futures Trust.
The SFT will be open to bids as early as January, with the council expecting a decision on whether or not they have been successful by May.
Capital funding towards projects will however not be available before 2015, but based on their discussions with Mr Russell the SIC was led to believe that revenue funding to serve loan arrangements would be available to them.
The hope is that the SIC could get up to £18 million towards a new school, with the remainder to be financed through the council’s own capital programme, or through a lease arrangement with Shetland Charitable Trust.
The government would also assist the SIC in the design, procurement and management of the new school.
Following Wednesday’s meeting, committee chairwoman Betty Fullerton said: “This is the first positive step toward seeking support and assistance from the government.
Councillors expressed concern that in a 96-page feasibility study before them the provision of a new hall of residence had not been included.
They said they had been inundated with phone calls and e-mails from concerned parents.
Fifteen percent of S5 and S6 pupils at the current Anderson High School are from the isles and are not able to commute daily to and from school.
They also wanted officers to explore whether funding for a new games hall could be attracted from sportscotland, and how such facilities could be shared with the Clickimin Leisure Centre nearby.
Concern was also voiced as to how the balance of at least £12 million could be financed.
Mrs Fullerton said: “It was very important for the members of this committee to agree as to where they want to go with regard to the new Anderson High School.
“We were in agreement that we should go to the Lower Staney Hill site, as we had already decided, but there was dissatisfaction in leaving the residential accommodation out of the project.
“Through discussion we reached a general consensus. Of course, there will be further discussions at the full council, and there may well be members who were not here today, who feel that the residential accommodation is one step too far financially.”
Chairman of the parent council of the Anderson High School, Alex Fullerton said he welcomed Wednesday’s decision and expressed the hope that the project would finally move forward.
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