A veteran Easter Ross councillor says his heart has been “saddened” by the loss of £12.5 million funding for a new super-school in Tain amid site selection issues.
Plans for the £45 million Tain 3-18 campus were shovel-ready earlier last year, but Highland Council went back to the drawing board amid objections to the proposed site at the existing secondary school, with many residents saying the building would be too cramped.
But now, the once available cash from the Scottish Futures Trust will be re-allocated to pay for refurbishing Inverness High School and redeveloping Merkinch Primary School, which will also get a nursery and community centre.
The decision was made because suitable projects in the council’s capital programme would have to meet the funding criteria of significantly improving that building’s condition by March 2020. Tain no longer fits this criteria.
Yesterday, Tain and Easter Ross councillor Alasdair Rhind said: “I understand quite clearly that the money could not be retained for the Tain project and have no problem with it going to Inverness High School and Merkinch.
“But what now concerns me is the backlash the council is getting. The critics seem to be forgetting a lot of people who should have stood up for the Tain site and fought the small minority of people. We are in disarray in our community. And the existing school estate is in a bad state.”
He added: “We have spent £1.2 million so far on the 3-18 campus which, at the end of the day, may be money wasted. That’s sad. I do not see it being the fault of Highland Council and it saddens my heart it has happened.”