Ross-shire’s Highland Investment Plan for schools takes a positive step forward

Through the Highland Investment Plan a new generation of community facilities is being planned across the Highland Council area, changing the way council services are delivered through a new way of operating across the partnership.

At a meeting of The Highland Council on Thursday 27 March 2024, elected members unanimously agreed investment priorities for the first phase of The Highland Investment Plan (HIP), including capital investment that will enable two Ross-shire schools to be rebuilt and a third to be refurbished.

Members agreed a recommendation to co-locate St Clement’s and Dingwall Primary schools at a new Dingwall Community Point of Delivery (POD) site, on the basis that this provides the greatest educational benefits for pupils of both schools, and the maximum economic benefit for the wider community.

There is currently approval in place to relocate St Clement’s School to a site at Docharty Brae in Dingwall which means the proposal to locate St Clement’s School alongside a new Dingwall Primary School on a shared site alongside enhanced community facilities will require to undergo a statutory consultation.

Further to the two new school builds, capital spending was also agreed for the refurbishment of Fortrose Academy.

Education Committee Chair, Cllr John Finlayson said: “Phase one of The Highland Investment Plan capital spending allocation will see two new school builds in Ross-shire for St Clement’s School and Dingwall Primary and an extensive refurbishment of Fortrose Academy.

“A new St Clements School has been a long time coming and the commitment to build a new school that retains the school’s unique identity remains.  The Highland Investment Plan now offers a really exciting co-location option that has even greater benefits for our young learners than any other previously proposed.   

“The strong collaborative working between St Clement’s School, Dingwall Primary and the wider Dingwall community has always played an integral part in our young people’s learning journey.  Co-locating will enhance inclusion and equitable opportunities for success, providing the best learning environments for all our children.

“It will increase opportunities for pupils with a disability to participate in wider curriculum and social opportunities, whilst ensuring specialist support and facilities are tailored to individual needs in their own individually designed standalone school and associated outdoor spaces.

“A period of stakeholder engagement will be undertaken, supported by design workshops, prior to launching the statutory consultation required for the proposed new site for St Clement’s School and to allow further discussion and opportunity for parents and stakeholders to feed into the detail of the formal statutory consultation process.”

A consultant architect with extensive experience of designing special schools and additional support needs facilities has been engaged to assist with the development of the new St Clement’s School project brief and initial floor plans and external layouts have been prepared. A series of design workshops will be held with stakeholder groups in the coming weeks to establish a clear vision for the new school. This will ensure that it provides first-rate facilities to meet the needs of every child that will attend St Clement’s in the future and maximise the benefits to be realised from this once in a generation opportunity.

The Highland Investment Plan (HIP) commits £2.1bn of capital funding over a twenty year period, based on the ring fencing of 2% council tax per annum, or an equivalent revenue stream. These revenue funds will be capitalised to create an Investment Plan that will be used to tackle major capital challenges that Highland Council faces.

The full report can be accessed here (Item 5).