Aberdeenshire councillors were at loggerheads over the naming of a much-needed school yesterday.
The Garioch area committee had been asked to approve the name of the second Kintore primary – scheduled to open in August 2016 – as Midmill School.
However, it emerged that members of the current Kintore Primary School’s parent council had held a meeting last week with East Garioch councillors Martin Ford and Fergus Hood and told them the preferred the name was Tuach Hill School.
The claim went against the findings of an Aberdeenshire Council survey, carried out between December 2013 and February 2014, which made Midmill the most popular name second to Hill of Tuach and Tuach School.
Mr Ford said: “The view of the parent council is that the clear majority of pupils had approved the name Tuach, after the hill which is by far the most prominent feature in the landscape in the vicinity of the school.
“I think there are some difficulties with Midmill, there are Midmills all over the place.
“Children in the primary school want Tuach Hill because that is where they play, that is where they ski in the winter time.”
Despite the last minute plea for a name change, councillors voted seven to three to stick with Midmill.
Westhill councillor Ron McKail said: “I’d be despondent if we made a decision that was contrary to the highest number of votes.”
Parent council member, Claire Till, said pupils would be disappointed by the move.
“We preferred Tuach Hill or Kintore Midmill, we wanted something that referred to the school being part of Kintore,” she said.
“If I am right the council asked the children of the current primary school what they thought it should be and their preference was Tuach Hill. It was the only thing they had been consulted about.”
It is hoped the new 540-pupil school will ease the strain on the 415-pupil Kintore Primary.