Council to Consult over Aviemore School Site

The Highland Council is to consult with villagers in Aviemore over the site earmarked for a new community primary school.

A central site on Grampian Road, which currently hosts the community centre, car park and playing fields, is the preferred location for the new school that would include a hall for community use, library/learning centre and child care facilities.

Other sites investigated were the existing school site; a site at Dalfaber; and a floodplain site by the river to the south end of the village.

The consultation will begin after the new school session resumes in August.

Willie McKenna, Chairman of Aviemore Community Company, said: “The proposed new community school for Aviemore has the wholehearted support of the Community Company who have been striving for 12 years to establish a community facility to be enjoyed by all, which they can be proud of and call their own.”

The Community Company will also hold discussions with NHS Highland with regard to the village hall and car park – two of the assets owned by the community at the Grampian Road site.

William Gilfillan, the Council’s Area Manager for Badenoch and Strathspey who has been fronting the discussions over the replacement school, said the Grampian Road site was chosen because of the scope to integrate a range of services in a central location.

He said: “We have met with the Community Company and the Community Steering Group and have agreed that a full consultation with the general public will take place towards the end of August.  What we are considering providing is a new community school, complete with library/learning centre; child care facilities, hall and football pitch which the community can share with the school. We believe there is a real opportunity here to make a difference for our growing community.”