23rd April 2026
Consultation in Thurso has found strong support for investment in a Community Point of Delivery (PoD) that serves the whole town and delivers wider benefits beyond the replacement of ageing school buildings.
Local people described the proposed development of an education campus on the current Thurso High School site and surrounding area as an opportunity to create a civic asset for the whole community, bringing together education, sport, leisure, health, art and social facilities.
The Highland Council has committed £100 million to Thurso under its Highland Investment Plan (HIP) - a £2.1 billion, 20-year capital investment programme to improve schools, roads and local infrastructure throughout the region. The plan is funded through a combination of borrowing and a 2% ring-fenced allocation of Council Tax revenue.
A key element of the HIP is the creation of community hubs, known as Points of Delivery (PoDs), supporting a move towards a single public estate incorporating schools, council services and partners into modern, integrated community-based facilities.
A pre-design consultation was held in December and January to seek local views ahead of the project moving to the design stage. More than 500 people took part through a series of drop-in events and an online survey, building on earlier workshops with key partners and community groups.
Key findings from the consultation included:
Strong support for high-quality indoor and outdoor sport and leisure facilities available to the wider community outside of school hours. Suggested facilities included a multi-sports gym hall, all weather pitches, and dedicated gymnastics and dance studio. Any new sports and leisure facilities should complement existing provision in the town, with the library and leisure centre retained at their current sites.
Education quality was consistently identified as a top priority. Views varied on plans for new school buildings and how secondary, primary and early learning provision could be arranged on the site.
Strong support for inclusive design to meet the needs of people with additional support needs (ASN), disabilities and neurodiversity, creating accessible, well-designed environments across education and community facilities.
A clear need for flexible community spaces capable of hosting large civic events, concerts, and performances, alongside smaller bookable rooms for local groups.
Support for stronger links between schools and the UHI North, West and Hebrides campus in Thurso, particularly to help with transition, course choices, and raising aspirations. Some concerns were raised about campus scale, safeguarding and the experience of younger pupils.
Traffic management, access and safe routes to school were identified as key considerations, along with the need to carefully manage congestion.
The pre-design consultation findings will now be used to inform development of more detailed proposals for the site and the process for statutory consultation, which will take place later this year.
The work will be supported by the Thurso Transformation Delivery Group, which brings together partners from multiple organisations to coordinate projects and maximise benefits for Thurso and Caithness.
Malcolm Macleod, the Council’s Assistant Chief Executive – Place, said: “This is one of the most significant public infrastructure investments the Council has made in the Highlands in over a decade, and it is essential that the community continues to play a role as the proposal develops. I want to thank everyone who took part in this consultation, and we look forward to working with the community to shape a connected education campus that supports lifelong learning, skills development and stronger links with community services.â€
The full pre-design consultation report can be found at www.highland.gov.uk/thursopod
Thurso Transformation Delivery Group (TTDG) members include:
Community Planning Partnership
Focus North (secretariat support)
The Highland Council
Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE)
High Life Highland
Hub North Scotland
NHS Highland
Nuclear Restoration Services Dounreay / Nuclear Decommissioning Authority
North Highland Chamber of Commerce
Thurso Community Council
UHI Environmental Research Institute
UHI North, West and Hebrides