North-east councillors have called for school capacity in the Buchan area to be increased to keep pace with the construction of new homes.
Members of the Buchan area committee met in Peterhead yesterday after the Press and Journal revealed that dozens of schools across the region were bursting at the seams.
Almost 30 schools are operating at more than 100% capacity, with children being taught in temporary classrooms.
Stuartfield Primary has space for up to 93 children and is currently at 126% capacity. Council officers have now capped the roll.
Similarly Burnhaven in Peterhead has 79 pupils in accommodation built for 47.
Councillors responded that the education department must work closely with developers to expand schools in line with population growth.
Central Buchan councillor Jim Ingram said: “I’m pleased to see the report. It indicates, in my mind, that we’re fortunate for being an expanding area on all fronts including education.
“There are definitely challenges for education in Central Buchan. We’ve got to start planning ahead, we need to create additional school accommodation, particularly in Mintlaw.”
Hundreds of new homes are planned for both Mintlaw and Peterhead which could bring scores of new children to the area.
Councillor Lenny Pirie added: “I think it’s not only Stuartfield and Mintlaw which will have problems in the future.
“Our small village schools weren’t built for all this development.
“I think developers and education need to work more closely together – it’s an issue that needs to be looked at from both sides.”
The figures come as Aberdeenshire Council unveils plans to replace Peterhead Academy with a new community campus in the next five years.
As part of the scheme, two new primary schools could be built in the area – one in the heart of the town and the other in the growing Clerkhill neighbourhood.
If the £63million project is agreed, it could be complete by 2021 and would end with a full rezoning of the Peterhead school network to balance the rolls and capacity of the local primaries in the area.
