Planning Go Ahead For PPP2 Schools

Scottish Ministers have advised The Highland Council they see no reason to intervene in determining the detailed planning permissions granted by the Council for the Public Private Partnership Schools Programme projects that were referred to them.

The Council is now able to implement the decisions to approve the school projects taken earlier this year by area planning committees.

The go ahead is seen as an important milestone for the Council's ambitious 21st Century School Improvement Programme, and it is hoped that work will be able to start on the first of the 11 schools by the end of the year.

Councillor Andy Anderson, Chairman of the Education Culture and Sport Committee said: "I am delighted that the Scottish Ministers are satisfied with the way we have processed the detailed planning permissions for all of the projects which we referred to them and the Executive do not need to determine the applications themselves.

"This is a major milestone for the PPP2 Project. We still have a number of hurdles to clear before the contract with Alpha Schools can be signed. But I am hopeful that we will be ready to start work on the first schools before the end of this year."

New secondary schools are proposed at Dingwall Academy, Kinlochleven High School, Millbum Academy, Inverness, and Portree High School. Also planned is the construction of a new school at Drummond, Inverness, for pupils with additional support needs; a new primary school at Inshes, Inverness, and a school for Gaelic Medium pupils in Inverness, as well as new primary schools at Kinlochleven, Cullicudden (amalgamated with Newhall), Culbokie and Cawdor.