A community group has called for the local authority to re-think the planned location of a long-awaited youth cafe.
It has been earmarked by Aberdeenshire Council to form part of the new £54million Inverurie Community Campus.
A report going before councillors says £280,000 of funding set aside for a youth cafe in the town has been incorporated into the budget for the replacement school.
But the Inverurie and District Community Council questioned whether young people would want to spend their leisure time back at school.
Chairwoman Fiona Peebles, said: “As far as I can remember and understand the youth wanted a separate site for the cafe, because if you have been in school all day you won’t want to go back to school at night for activities. I don’t think that was the intention.”
She added members also had “concerns” about combining community facilities being used during the day with the school.
Mrs Peebles said: “There is still a lot of issues that have to be sorted out.”
In a report going before the education and children’s services committee this week, the council’s director of education and children’s services Maria Walker said the council had worked with the Inverurie Youth Forum on the proposals.
She added: “£280,000 of developer obligations and external grant funding has been historically secured and protected for a youth cafe in Inverurie, these funds will be incorporated into the community campus budget.
“Following engagement with staff and young people a dedicated community resource room and youth cafe have been added to the design.
“Over and above these spaces community groups will have access to a number of shared spaces across the campus.”
The committee will also be told that they have until summer to finalise the plans for the school.
Not doing so could “jeopardise” the “stringent times scales” associated with £24.8million of funding set aside for the school project from the Scottish Futures Trust.
