Cllr Struan Mackie, Vice-Chair of the Highland Council's Caithness Area Committee has expressed his disappointment that a local decision will be challenged in Inverness
Last week, the Caithness Area Committee voted on options for the condemned A-Block at Thurso High School, opting to go against the Officer's recommendation and assert its' preference for 'demolish and replacement'. The paper brought in front of Members outlined a series of options, including a care and maintenance position, demolish only, demolish and rebuild. Members voted (4-3) to demolish and rebuild, voting along administration lines with Independent and SNP Members opting to only demolish the condemned site. Struan said, "I think this paper is a highly important one, providing the opportunity for local Members to assert their preference for the future of A-Block. "The pupils, parents and carers of students at Thurso are rightly concerned. The safety and uncertainty surrounding the Block has been damaging for confidence in the Council and the Educational Estate which is crumbling every corner of the Highland region. "The paper will carry a financial commitment, so will likely be taken to Full Council in due course (the next meeting is in June) and it will be test of the Local Area Committee's clout to see if the Council at large will endorse this position. "Park Primary School was catapulted into the Capital Plan due to the fire some years ago... but no School in Highland has had students evacuated from a building due to immediate concerns about structural health and safety. There is a clear president. The Committee Paper is available here: