Delight as funding announcement for Tain Campus confirmed
The Highland Council has welcomed the announcement from the Scottish Government that the application for funding for a new school campus in Tain has been successful.
The proposed campus will bring together Tain Royal Academy and Community Complex, Craighill Primary, Knockbreak Primary and St Duthus Special School.
The Highland Council is committed to delivering good quality, well designed, sustainable schools, in partnership with the Scottish Government.
Council Leader Margaret Davidson said: “We are all delighted that the bid for Tain campus has been successful through the Schools for the Future programme. We were competing against other schools in Scotland and needed to prove that the Tain Campus project is transformational.
“This project presents us with creative opportunities to strengthen partnerships with the local Health Centre and nearby Care Home as well as housing providers. By building on a council-owned site we can free up land the current four schools occupy and use it to stimulate the local economy and create much needed housing for local families. It is terrific news not just for Tain, but it represents a huge investment in the wider Easter Ross and Seaboard area.”
Chair of the Ross and Cromarty Committee and Tain and Seaboard Ward Member Cllr Fiona Robertson is delighted that the announcement today will lead to closer partnership working. She said: “This is really fantastic news for everyone in the Tain area. The campus will be very much the heart of the local community, so I am delighted that as well as an excellent environment for young people of all ages to learn in, the campus will have community facilities for everyone to use and enjoy.
“It will open up new and exciting learning opportunities for generations to come and at the same time bring economic benefits to the town and surrounding communities. I believe Tain Campus offers a unique opportunity and it is great we can now move forward with detailed plans.”
Chair of the Care, Learning and Housing Committee Cllr John Finlayson added: “This announcement is a major breakthrough and reflects the educational needs and aspirations of young people and the skilled and dedicated staff and parents that support them. I very much look forward to seeing work on the ground start to create a modern learning Campus that will be at the heart of Tain for years to come. We have lots of work to do as we have given the commitment that the Campus will be delivered by the end of 2021, but these are exciting times as the new campus and its facilities will be a fantastic addition to the local community. Hopefully this is the first phase of a school improvement programme which will result in many more communities feeling the benefit of funding from the Scottish Government working in partnership with the Highland Council.”