Council owned land the priority in new Brae school site selection
THE COUNCIL will look first at land it already owns when it comes to building a new Brae school.
Some in the community have pointed to the nearby former Moorfield Hotel site, which has been vacant since the building burned down last year, as possible land for a new build school.
The hotel’s owner BDL has been looking to sell the site since the fire.
But Shetland Islands Council’s schools manager Shona Thompson said the priority is to look at land the local authority already owns.
“Work to progress the project will now get underway following approval by the full council, including looking at potential sites,” she said.
“We will firstly be exploring the options for building on land already owned by the council.”
Councillors this week approved moving the project to the next stage, with an outline business case due to be developed.
A new build would likely cost between £16 million and £20 million, but the council would seek funding from the Scottish Government.
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