Objections to council’s school plan

A FORT William councillor says the project board for the town’s derelict secondary school has ‘institutional deafness’.

Councillor Brian Murphy, who represents Fort William and Ardnamurchan, accepts that, by speaking out, he will not be part of the planning process for the scheme to turn the former school in Achintore Road into council offices.

Last week, Highland council announced it had secured £270,000 from Historic Environment Scotland for its plan to breathe new life into the school, which has been rotting for at least a quarter of a century.

Mr Murphy said: ‘When it was proposed as a possible site for relocating and rationalising our present office accommodation in Fort William I was delighted. Unfortunately because the council officials will not listen to, and take proper account of, the views of the community, our staff, and local councillors, it has now turned into a bad news.’

He said the project board has invited three other public body partners to share the office accommodation without any discussion with local members.

The concerns raised by councillors and staff are in relation to the removal of space originally allocated for Highland Council staff and which is now to be offered to the three partners.

Mr Murphy said: ‘This will adversely affect the working conditions of our own staff. Also, in spite of local councillors’ wishes that the layout of the site be ‘future proofed’ for possible expansion, that has been ignored, leaving a situ- ation where in a few years extra office space may be needed. I have concerns about the design, materials and siting of the extension, which in my view is going to look like an overgrown shed. The board seem to be afflicted with an institutional deafness and unwillingness to engage with any views that conflict with their own.’

Fort William Community Council (FWCC) discussed the plans at a meeting last Tuesday and issued a statement of objections. The statement said: ‘ While it is an open secret that at least three other public sector agencies are being mooted for allocation of office space within this current scheme, it does not merit a mention in the planning application. Does this invalidate the planning application?’