In 2002 the Highland Council had plans for the
retention of a school in Maryburgh and subsequent proposals for an
The Option Appraisal fails to
address, in required detail, the following concerns:
1.
SAFETY
The introduction of Hazards arising from travel to
and from the proposed
No
Risk Assessment has yet been completed.
No
amount of expenditure will eliminate the hazards.
The
measures to reduce the hazards to acceptable levels of risk have not been
determined and therefore have not been costed.
It
is the opinion of this community that a Risk Assessment is a prerequisite of
the Option Appraisal.
2.
COMMUNITY FACILITIES
The
report does not identify the needs for Community Facilities and therefore gives
no details of any proposed provisions.
3.
ASSET DISPOSAL
The
report gives no details of the arrangements for disposal of redundant assets.
This (and all associated conditions) has significant cost and community
implications.
4.
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
The
report gives no evaluation of the impact of school provision in respect of
Community Development.
5.
BUILDING CONSTRUCTION OPTIONS
An option for Maryburgh (proposed
for a number of years) is to refurbish the original buildings and to construct
a new class-room wing using Modular Construction techniques - this option has
been rejected by Highland Council apparently on the basis that the Highland
Council has limited experience of this method of construction and cannot
consider it at this time.
Indicative
costs for this option have been given as approximately £1.0m only.
In
view of the prevailing economic and financial crisis and considering the
urgency in Maryburgh is this option not the Best Value?
6.
EDUCATION PROVISION FOR 3 YEAR OLD TO 6 YEAR OLD
As an option (within the
Amalgamation Proposal) the suggestion to retain provision for the education of
3 year old to 6 year old children within Maryburgh was rejected by the Highland
Council on the basis that it did not best satisfy curricular requirements for
that age group and also the need to ensure, if practical,
“continuity” of education.
There may be some merit in these two “indicators” but surely
retaining provision for this age group has safety & community benefits
which greatly out weigh the “curricular” and
“continuity” indicators.
It is accepted that the
Option Appraisal was undertaken generally in accordance with the Guidance
issued by the Scottish Executive all of which is geared towards creating an
objective evaluation with minimal value judgements. The essence of the system
is a Matrix of “Indicators” (selected and “scored” to
ensure all objectives of the appraisal are considered) and to which
“Weightings” are applied to ensure the relevant importance of each
“Indicator”. The selection of “Indicators” and the
level of “Weighting” are very much value judgements and a subjective
process.
It
appears to this Community that the selection of “Indicators” and
related “Weightings” were established to ensure an outcome of the
Option Appraisal exercise which would support the Highland Council Amalgamation
Agenda, an example is the cost (estimated at £614,000) of providing
temporary accommodation during construction of new facilities at Maryburgh is
of greater significance in the Option Appraisal than all safety issues.
An
The
community has been informed that if it wishes to challenge the content of the
Option Appraisal and to challenge the decision of the Education, Culture &
Sport Committee that the four Local Councillors have been advised not to
support the community in that challenge.