Parents have slammed a north-east council’s move to launch public consultations on the closure of two mothballed primaries.
Pupils have not attended Gartly School, south of Huntly, since the discovery of a major oil leak.
And Longhaven School near Peterhead closed its doors due to a dwindling population and a struggle to appoint a headteacher.
Neither school has welcomed pupils since 2018 and the futures of both primaries have been regularly discussed ever since.
Now Aberdeenshire Council has agreed to run public consultations on the potential closures of both after elected officials backed reports on the schools.
‘Super disappointed’ with move towards closure
Charlotte Whitley, the mother of a now-former Gartly pupil, is sad about the launch of a consultation and the Aberdeenshire school closures.
She had previously praised the teachers at the school but also vowed to keep fighting to give it a future.
Mrs Whitley said: “We are super disappointed that the council have made this decision and we still stand by the fact that in the long run, it is much more viable to reopen the school.
“Kennethmont, where my son is now, is fit to bursting and they are going to need new toilets and potentially building an extension at some point.
“That is with 30 houses being built across the street from the school.
Slowly but surely that building, which has been empty for three years, is being left to rot. It is becoming an eyesore at the end of a cul-de-sac.”
Charlotte Whitley
“I think long term it is a silly decision and we need those school places. It is now more difficult for us to fight because currently there is no Gartly School.
“It is just a shame for the community and for what the children have been put through.
“For us, it felt like the final move when it was mothballed in August. Once it is mothballed there is no school spirit, the children have moved on and settled somewhere else.
“Slowly but surely that building, which has been empty for three years, is being left to rot. It is becoming an eyesore at the end of a cul-de-sac.”
Consultation events to be held on future of schools
By law, Aberdeenshire Council have to run 30 days consultation on any school closures and it means any concerns can be addressed.
The local authority plan to run the consultations for Gartly and Longhaven between December 7 and February 24 2022.
A public meeting on the potential closure at Gartly will be held at Gartly Community Hall on January 25 with an online event the next day.
Longhaven Community Hall will host a public meeting on January 24 with an online discussion taking place on January 25.
The Press and Journal previously revealed that councils have paid out thousands of pounds on mothballed schools.
Keeping Gartly School mothballed ‘not best option’
According to a report considered by Aberdeenshire Council’s education committee, it would cost more than £1 million to reinstate Gartly School.
The document also said that continuing the mothballing of the school, which started in August, would not be “the best option for the community or taxpayer.”
Council chiefs are proposing to permanently close Gartly and continue with the current arrangement of children attending at Rhynie School.
Gartly’s catchment area would be “re-assigned” to one of other primary schools which are nearby.
The report said: “Aberdeenshire Council recommends that Gartly School, currently mothballed is closed and the catchment area re-assigned to that of Rhynie School or Kennethmont School.”
Longhaven School closure ‘only viable option’
Aberdeenshire Council have that said Longhaven School should be closed on a permanent basis following the completion of the consultation.
The preferred option is to move is to merge with Port Errol School in Cruden Bay with many of the pupils from Longhaven going there following the initial closure three years ago.
A local authority report said that there had been no applications for children to start primary one for the current school year.
The document concluded: “One of the options identified as part of the appraisal is to close Longhaven School.
“This is currently considered to be the only viable option for the school.”
Members of Aberdeenshire Council’s Education and Children`s Services Committee backed both public consultations which will begin next week.
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