Education / Ground inspections get underway for new Brae school
CONTRACTORS are on site to undertake ground inspection works for the proposed new Brae High School.
Inspection work got underway earlier this week.
In January 2024 Shetland Islands Council (SIC) approved an outline business case for the Brae campus, with an estimated cost of approximately £42.5 million, subject to the approval of a full business case which has yet to come in front of elected members.
The Scottish Government has already committed to providing half of the funding, though this will come over a 25-year period.
The new school could be built where the existing grass pitch sits, and there is a plan to demolish the old building.
A spokesperson for the SIC said the ground investigations will better understand the ground conditions around the school site, to determine foundations for the proposed new school.
The school said on social media on Tuesday that, to limit disturbances, any movement around the site during the ground inspections – other than on the pitch where site access is limited to contractors only – will be restricted to times when pupils are in class.
This means that there will be no movement around the school grounds, that are accessible to pupils, at drop-off or pick-up times, or social times.
The school said that when moving plant around the site, “careful health and safety precautions will be followed”, including the use of a banksman.
Rotary rig holes near the school building will be done at the weekend.
The school added that before digging any holes near the secondary department, building contractors will check that there are no prelims on that wing of the building to ensure that prelims are not disturbed.
Recent estimated timescales suggest that a new Brae school could now open in August 2028.
Subject to the necessary approvals and go-ahead, work could commence in the second period of 2026.
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