New school still a ‘priority’

REDEVELOPING Monfieth High School will remain a “priority” even if a bid for Scottish Government cash is rejected, council officials have said.

An Angus Council meeting agreed to recommendations that a replacement Monifieth High School would remain the current priority project – despite concerns over possible funding problems.

Proposals for a £50 million school to replace the current one were outlined by the council last month.

To fund the project, a bid has been made to the Scottish Futures Trust – the public body responsible for infrastructure investment, with a decision due before the end of the year.

But concerns have been raised over what the local authority will do if the funding bid fails.

Councillor Sheila Hands, who represents the Monifieth and Sidlaw ward, said: “I’ve had a look at the schools that have been funded over the past year and a straight secondary school wasn’t one of them.

“So can I ask what the plan B is if it doesn’t receive funding? Does Monifieth go to the back of the queue?

“We need a solution to this and I just want to know what is being considered as the plan B.”

Councillor Beth Whiteside, who also represents the ward, added: “Are there things we don’t know about this bid that would make it more attractive to the Scottish Future’s Trust as far as funding?

“Particularly because of the high figures involved it seems to be a really big number if you compare it to Forfar.

“There’s no mention of this being a community campus with the same sort of facilities Forfar has, so is there something we don’t know yet?”

Addressing the funding issue Kelly McIntosh, the education and lifelong learning director at Angus Council, reassured councillors that the Monifieth redevelopment would not be put on the back burner.

She said: “We hope to hear before the end of this year whether our bid was successful or not. So we are hoping before the end of term to have confirmation.

“If our bid is not successful, then my team will again go back and look at all the documentation from previous reports to see what next steps can be put in place.

“Our priority will continue to be Monifieth because of the state the school is in at the moment, both in condition, suitability and capacity.”

She added: “With regard to the cost, Forfar Community Campus was costed eight years ago and, I know when you look at the raw figures they look much more, the costs are actually comparable.”

A recent building survey carried out on the school by construction company Thomson Gray found that inefficient heating systems, limited accessibility and poor ventilation are among the major problems with the current building.

The refurbishment and expansion of the existing school remain under consideration but the survey outlined that this could cost up to £5 million.

That, Councillor Kenny Braes argued, meant a “modern, fit for purpose school” would be the best option.

He said: “I was a regular visitor to Brechin High School prior to the lockdown and I have also had occasion to visit Monifieth High School.

“The difference between the two learning environments is quite stark.

“I realise that other schools across Angus have a similar situation but Monifieth is the one that seems to have the biggest problems at the moment.

“The sooner the pupils there can get the benefit of a modern, fit for purpose school the better.”