Councillors back plans for larger school extension

Orkney Islands councillors backed plans for a larger extension to St Andrews primary school.

At today’s meeting of the education, leisure and housing committee the majority of councillors supported new plans for the school, which will see a new PE hall, main entrance, two new nursery classrooms and new staff facilities built, at a cost of £3.231 million.

The original plans for an extension at the school, at a cost of £995,000, were approved in October 2014, however it had been found that due to an increase in pupil numbers the project would no longer meet the needs of the community.

It was noted at today’s meeting, that although the school has seen an increase in pupil numbers in recent years, from 156 in 2007 to 240 in 2016, pupil numbers are predicted to drop in the years to come.

The vote in the council chamber was close, with seven councillors supporting the plans for the larger extension and five wanting to see reports on the need for a larger extension before a decision was made.

The revised plans for the school’s extension will be now submitted to the council’s policy and resources committee.