Angus Council is pressing ahead on a formal consultation over a shared campus for two Arbroath primary schools.
In the latest stage of the multi-million-pound Arbroath schools project, Hayshead and St Thomas are being looked at as possible candidates for a new arrangement which could come into being by October 2018.
Angus children and learning committee councillors were updated on the progress of the second and third phases of the county’s schools project, which has seen the opening of replacement Warddykes and Timmergreens primaries for the new school session.
Convener Sheena Welsh said an informal consultation on June 30 was “received positively” by the parents and carers at both schools.
An amendment by Arbroath councillor Ewan Smith, which detailed options at the committee stage before officers drafted the consultation, was found not competent by the convener.
Mr Smith moved that all consultations should offer a new Hayshead at its current location and fully costed options for St Thomas, comprising of the following: a shared campus for the newly-built Hayshead and newly-built St Thomas, the development of a new St Thomas in its current location, the full refurbishment of St Thomas on its current location, or the status quo for St Thomas.
Mrs Welsh said: “If a shared campus is not wanted, St Thomas can stay where they are and we’ve already decided it will be refurbished, and we’ve already decided Hayshead will get a new school.
“Now we need to proceed to a formal consultation and await the outcome of that before we moved ahead either with a shared campus or just a replacement for Hayshead.”
Arbroath councillor David Fairweather said the schools project has been “superb”.
He added: “I congratulate this council and that’s it’s looking to build new schools.
“This is a forward-looking report.”
Hayshead, Ladyloan and Muirfield are next on the programme for new builds and the provision of early years and ASN (Additional Support Needs) accommodation is part of the latest update.
Officials say funding for the increased early years provision which will be required has yet to be established, but to avoid any delays the intention is to include that aspect in the initial designs.
