Fears have surfaced that a badly-needed second primary school in an Aberdeenshire village may not be delivered next year as promised.
Midmill Primary School is due to be completed by August 2016, but problems securing the land for the site could push the date back.
Originally, Aberdeenshire Council had hoped the primary would be open this August. However, councillors are now worried it could be delayed for a second time.
Disputes between the landowners and developers, Kintore Consortium – made up of Kirkwood Homes, Malcolm Allan and Barratt Homes – led the council to apply for a compulsory purchase order (CPO) through the Scottish Government to acquire the site.
Due to objections from the landowners, the case was brought to a public inquiry in Inverurie last week.
However it then emerged that their objections had been withdrawn and the government came out in support of the CPO earlier this week.
Yesterday, East Garioch councillor Martin Ford said it was “touch and go” as to whether the primary is built by next year.
Mr Ford said: “Every day now counts as there is no spare time left should anything cause even a short delay.
“Having pressed for the new school for many years, I will be extremely disappointed if opening is delayed again.
“Certainly my hope is, one way or another, the new school can be delivered for August 2016. But that is clearly far from certain.
“From making a start on site to having a new primary school ready to open generally needs about 15 months.
“So the council would want construction to be starting any time now to be fully confident that the second Kintore school will be ready for use in August 2016.”
Local councillor Fergus Hood agreed there could be “no slack” between now and next August in getting the site constructed.
He said: “We’ll do our absolute best to develop it by 2016 but if there is weather against us or contractual delays these things will be out of our control.
“A CPO is really a last resort where an agreement can’t be reached. The compulsory purchase order process is a long drawn-out affair.
“It is frustrating for the council, frustrating for the councillors and for the residents and the pupils.”
Kintore’s current primary school – which opened in 2006 – has a capacity for 415 pupils but is already filled to capacity.