Council chiefs have offered assurances that the north-east’s biggest town will not be deprived of theatre facilities when a new academy is built.
Aberdeenshire Council is working on proposals to demolish Peterhead Academy and replace it with a £63million community campus.
The new super school – which would incorporate nursery, primary and secondary schools – could either be built on the existing location or on the outskirts of town.
But concerns have been raised that the project could leave the town without a drama space and more than 450 people have signed an online petition calling on the authority to “save” the school’s theatre.
The petition was launched by local woman Miranda Buchan. In her open letter to the council she said: “There isn’t a lot going for Peterhead, but one of the things going for it that keeps kids off the streets, boosting their confidence and giving their parents a break is the theatre.”
She added that plans to bulldoze the school are a “disgrace”.
One petitioner commented: “As an ex-pupil, it enriched my life and allowed me to meet friends and be creative. This would be a heartbreaking loss to the community.”
But last night Aberdeenshire Council’s head of resource, Craig Clement, said no decisions have been taken on what facilities the new campus will or will not have.
“The information provided so far on the new Peterhead community campus is indicative and is in no way meant to depict a final design or layout,” Mr Clement said.
“We already see theatre provision as a key requirement in the new campus – the new facilities will deliver the same functionality as the current ones and will be flexible in their design to encourage the maximum use of space.”
Mr Clement said “detail design work” for the campus cannot begin until a preferred site has been chosen. The public are currently being asked to comment on the two proposed sites.
He added: “We recognise the importance of the theatre within the Peterhead community and there will be opportunities for users to feedback on the possible new facilities once a site has been chosen.”
The public consultation about the preferred location for the new school is open for comment until December 31.
