Plans by Highland Council for a new £45 million super school in Tain were met with mixed reviews as public consultations took place yesterday.
The new academy will be home to students between the ages of three and 18 years old and is poised for development on one of four sites, including Tain Craighill, Tain Kirksheaf, Tain Burgage and the current Tain Royal Academy grounds.
During the meeting at Tain Parish Church, several residents were unhappy that the former Tain Royal Academy site remained as one four proposed development plots for the school despite ‘objection’ during the first band of consultations in 2014, stating the site was far too small to house the school.
One local resident said: “I am still concerned that it’s still in the running. It’s the smallest site out of the other three and I don’t quite grasp why you still feel this site is feasible.”
However, another resident hit back saying he was ‘disappointed that the consultation process had started again’ adding ‘there was nothing wrong with the Tain Royal Academy site’ at the outset.
Several residents also called for a community-wide survey to be distributed to allow residents to vote on which site they favoured most.
The meeting was the first of two sessions taking place in the town before final plans are submitted at the next committee meeting being held on May 30.
Councillor Alasdair Rhind for Tain and Easter Ross said that despite hearing the concerns raised by his constituents, he still feels the former academy site would be the ideal location for the new development. He said: “I think we have to let that run its course to see what comes out of the situation and what opinion we are getting back from that.
“I am very much in favour of the development going onto the TRA site. I am of the same opinion as I was last year. The site is good and big enough for the development. My mind hasn’t been changed on that. I have listened really closely to the concerns we have heard but we have to think of the cost of the project.
“At the end of the day, we have to see what the development will cost on one site and the other site. Highland Council have completely gone about it the right way.”
