Council / No Dunrossness planning breach, SIC says following review
Meanwhile education and families committee chairman Davie Sandison says the SIC is ‘wholly committed’ to engaging positively with parents on the future refurbishment of the school
SHETLAND Islands Council says it is of the position that no planning rules have been breached in the demolition of the temporary classrooms at the Dunrossness Primary School.
It is understood that the council’s planning department considered legal advice as well as relevant legislation and the planning history of the site.
Meanwhile chairman of the SIC’s education and families committee Davie Sandison said the local authority is “wholly committed” to engaging positively with parents on the future refurbishment of the school.
Demolition work started on the two temporary buildings earlier this month, despite repeated pleas from the school’s parent council for work to be urgently halted.
It has accused the council of a catalogue of errors in its demolition plan, with the parent council preferring for the buildings to be repaired instead.
On Monday the parent council said its question around whether correct planning powers – permitted development – were being used for the demolition remained unanswered.
The council, however, now says it is of the position that there was no breach of planning control and that no planning application was required.
Meanwhile the SIC issued a statement from Sandison on Tuesday, which said the council recognised the concern expressed by parents about the removal of the temporary classrooms.
“These buildings had served their purpose well but now that they have been dismantled, we can focus on the plans to refurbish other parts of the school to best meet the future education needs of pupils,” he said.
“We are wholly committed to looking ahead and to have positive engagement with parents and the wider school community.
“We need to share collective views and agree the detail of the building improvements, and the timescale and costs.”
Sandison said there is a shared desire for school buildings to be “fit for purpose for many years to come”, and added that the views of parents, pupils and staff will help to shape this.
While the parent council repeated its strong concerns in a statement on Monday, it did however say that it is “willing and ready to work productively with council officers and councillors to shape the next stage of work at Dunrossness”.
Last week Shetland South elected member Bryan Peterson said the request to pause and revisit the decision to demolish was “a reasonable one, and it has been supported by the majority of South Mainland councillors”.
But he said “it has proven to be more complex than many would expect” given the contractual and financial implications as well as the formal process it would have had to go through in the council.
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