Buckie High meeting on school’s future set to be ticket only as hall spaces limited
People interested in attending a public meeting on the future of a crumbling secondary school are being asked to register in advance.
There was disappointment in store last month for Buckie Community High School (BCHS) students, parents and staff when plans to rebuild or refurbish the buildings dealt yet another blow.
In the wake of this, a public meeting has been called for Tuesday, June 17 at the school’s Highfield Hall to update the community on the current status of the revamp project, the challenges facing it and the next steps.
During the session, a team from Moray Council will brief attendees on key aspects, including the condition and suitability of the current school building, the significant investment required for improvements, and the long-term affordability of the future BCHS.
This event will also highlight the importance of community engagement and consultation to ensure the project’s success and secure support for future investment.
However, due to limited hall capacity those wishing to attend are being asked to register in advance to secure a place at the meeting. This process is free of charge.
To book a seat, visit https://www.eventbrite.com/
The meeting is scheduled to run from 6.30pm to 8pm.
It had initially been hoped that the school would qualify for funding from the Scottish Government's Learning Estate Investment Programme (LEIP) Phase 3 project, which would have seen a much-needed new school built. However, Forres Academy ended up getting the nod from Moray Council for the cash.
A further blow was to be dealt in February when councillors were told that due to the “significant reduction of capital” - to the tune of £32.32 million - available to the local authority it was now the case that the “existing refurbishment options are not affordable”.
At last month’s education, children’s and leisure services committee meeting councillors decided to delay any decision on any future investment in the BCHS project pending clarity on the future of the Elgin High School Capacity Expansion project. It was also decided to limit work on the school purely to regular maintenance.
Currently, on a scale from A to D, Buckie High is rated as C in condition - meaning the buildings need investment - and B in suitability. The minimum requirement is B for both.
