New Inverness school and catchment area gets go ahead

The building of a new primary school to the south of Inverness has taken a major step forward.

Members of The Highland Council’s Care, Learning and Housing Committee have agreed to recommend to the Council the establishment of a new school and creation of a new catchment area to serve the Ness Castle and Ness-side housing developments.

Cllr Andrew Baxter, Chair of the Care, Learning and Housing Committee said: “One of the key priorities of the Council’s Programme is to ‘address the need for additional capacity’ in Highland Schools and providing a place to learn for our children. Inverness’s housing demands and pressure on existing school supply highlighted the need for a new school in this catchment area.”

Highland Council had sought the views of parents, school pupils, and the local communities through a public consultation on the proposal under procedures set down in The Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010. 

The new approved catchment area of the school (Option B) will have its western boundary beginning at the River Ness at a point just below Whin Island from there running east to the B862. It will then run in a south westerly direction along the B862 to the Holm Burn, and extend south and east along the burn to meet the Lochardil Primary School catchment. The areas of the present Holm Primary School catchment that are south and west of this line will be the Ness Castle Primary School catchment.

The recommendations for a new school and catchment to serve the Ness Castle and Ness-side housing areas of Inverness will now go before the meeting of The Highland Council on 28 June 2018.