Highland schools and leisure facilities works brought forward

14th January 2012

Members of The Highland Council's Education, Culture and Sport Committee have agreed to bring forward £1.038 million of Capital Funding Projects to help offset an estimated £3.6 million projected underspend in the current financial year 2011/12.

Approved projects in the Capital Programme which are being brought forward include works at:

· Kingussie High School, Culloden Academy, Inverness and Tain Craighill Primary School;

· inspection of craft, design and technical equipment in Secondary Schools;

· works at Dingwall Leisure Centre; and

· the purchase of a disabled access mini-bus at Lochaber High School.

At Kingussie High School additional works related to the removal of demountable accommodation and construction of an extension to the main school entrance. These works, totalling £0.550M include: installation of sprinklers, relocation of a bio-mass boiler, and redesign of the reception and entrance area, creation of links between the main building and new extension and other remedial works.

Sub-standard timber floors in the games hall and gymnasium at Culloden Academy used by both the school and local community will be replaced at a cost of £0.070M.

To alleviate accommodation pressures identified in a recent school primary school review at Knockbreck and Craighill Primary Schools in Tain, Gaelic pre-school provision will be moved from Knockbreck to Craighill in order to create more space at Knockbreck. Members approved £0.100M expenditure to create additional accommodation capacity through internal building alteration at Craighill Primary.

Following an inspection of Secondary School technical equipment, health and safety recommendations included the replacement of a significant amount of existing machinery. Members approved and additional £0.150M worth of expenditure on top of a prior £0.250M commitment made in November 2011.

Additional expenditure of £0.120M has been brought forward to works on the upper floor at Dingwall Leisure Centre which will improve the range and quality of facilities on offer.

At Lochaber High School, £0.048M has been approved to purchase of a disabled access mini-bus to replace the existing vehicle at Lochaber High School.