ActionForBoroughmuir

Feasibility Study goes ahead

A feasibility study is now under way by the Council, to look at the options for refurbishing the building and the possibilities for a new school.  Councillor McLaren & Gillian Tee, Director of Children and Families visited the school on 16th November to look at the current premises in closer detail. 

Jack Hamilton, the Headmaster,  and  Polly Purvis, Malcolm Fraser and Neil Smith from the Parent Council, met with representatives of the Property department on the 19th November, to set the feasibility study process off.  The Council are planning to have this complete by early January 2008.

Alistair Darling comments on School building issue

The November edition of the Morningside & Bruntsfield Gazette features a story about the opportunity for a major refurbishment of the current school, and a letter from Alistair Darling MP which is reproduced below :


Boroughmuir High case for investment is overwhelming

"I am very concerned about the recent threat to Boroughmuir High School’s chances of getting a new or refurbished school.

The new council administration has announced that it can’t deliver the rebuilding programme for five schools across Edinburgh after the new Scottish Executive administration confirmed it would not fund the work.

The Scottish education minister declared that “we don’t have £100 million with Edinburgh’s name on it”.

This is bad news for parents in Edinburgh who were told by the Scottish Executive That it would “match the school building programme brick for brick” I know it will be a blow to the Boroughmuir parents who wrote to me recently following a meeting with the Council.

At that time the authority remained confident that the pressing need to make Boroughmuir fit for purpose would mean it remained a high priority for substantial investment. Last month, in my pre-budget report as Chancellor, I announced increases to the annual Scottish budget to £30 billion by 2011, which is more than double the level that was available to First Minister Donald Dewar in the very first Scottish Executive in 1999.

This is a budget that is there for investment, including refurbishing or rebuilding schools. The Boroughmuir buildings are almost 100 years old and it is one of the oldest schools in Edinburgh.

Children deserve and need to be in a high quality building to support them in achieving their potential -  although it is not just the children who would benefit. Boroughmuir High School is a hive of activity every evening, offering a full community education service to local people.  Activities from arts, history and languages to upholstery and motor cycle maintenance are on offer, amongst other things.

Please get in contact with me if you want tp discuss this or any other issues.”

Rt Hon Alistair Darling is MP for Edinburgh South West