Exclusive:Fresh delay to SNP school building fund announcement could jeopardise projects across Scotland

Councils have already been waiting for more than six months for the cash to be awarded

School building projects across the nation are being plunged into fresh doubt after the Scottish Government delayed a key funding announcement again.

Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth is under fire after missing her own deadline for revealing which schemes would win cash from the third phase of a £1billion programme.

Councils have now been waiting for more than six months to find out whether long-awaited new schools can finally get the go-ahead.

Fears are growing that the latest delay, combined with soaring costs, could mean some projects have to be shelved or scrapped.

Moray Council leader Kathleen Robertson said the delays were impacting its plans for new facilities for Forres Academy and Buckie High School.

“It’s been delayed and delayed. It’s stifling our ability to move forward because we can’t make decisions on our wider school estate until we know whether or not we’re progressing with the new-builds we’ve put in for,” she said.

"Basically our hands are tied behind our backs at the moment. We can’t make any progress. It’s really causing us huge issues.

"Every month that goes by construction costs and inflation goes up, so are we going to actually be able to build what we’ve put in for? We may have to reconfigure what we want to do.”

The Scottish Government was supposed to announce which new schools would be awarded funding from the third phase of the learning estate investment programme (LEIP) at the end of last year.

However, the decision was pushed back and councils were told in March that extra time was needed to consider the bids, in part due to the need to take account of the “impact of market volatility”.

The resignation of First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and subsequent SNP leadership contest is also thought to have delayed the process, leaving councils in limbo.

After taking on the education brief, Ms Gilruth said on April 27 she was “committed to announcing the successful projects by June”.

Then, on June 1, she told MSPs she would be revealing which bidders had secured funding “before the end of this parliamentary session”.

On Wednesday, the day before Holyrood entered its summer recess, she told MSPs they were “big decisions and it's important we get them right”.

She added: “I remain committed to announcing the successful Phase 3 projects as soon as possible”.

Scottish Labour’s education spokeswoman Pam Duncan-Glancy said: “Like so many of their other promises, the SNP Government have let this issue go on for far too long.

"They’ve been asked time and time again when we’d get an announcement and can give no clearer timescale than 'as soon as possible’.

"The delay will have a huge impact on new school projects and must be resolved now."

The programme was first unveiled at the end of 2018, with government pledging to invest £1bn upgrading and replacing schools.

The funding usually pays for half of a school building project, with councils footing the rest of the bill from capital budgets and borrowing, as well as developer contributions.

The first £275 million phase of the programme involved 12 school building projects, with a second stage worth £430m announced in 2020 that comprised 25 schemes.

The third phase was initially expected to distribute £275m from the Government, but councils were told to prioritise bids because the amount of funding available “may be insufficient to meet demand”.

Councils could still fund school building projects by themselves, but that could have a knock-on impact on their stretched finances and other capital schemes.

It has already been reported that funding delays mean an upgrade of Dumfries High School is now “above the affordability cap for the project”.

Highland Council has already had to postpone a review of its capital projects until the Phase 3 announcement is made.

It has bids in for five new schools – primaries at Beauly, Dunvegan on Skye and Park at Invergordon, as well as a primary for the new town at Tornagrain and a long-awaited replacement for St Clement’s School in Dingwall.

Aberdeenshire Council, meanwhile, has made funding bids for a new primary at Stonehaven and another at Fraserburgh, while neighbouring Aberdeen City Council has submitted applications to support the planned refurbishment of the existing Riverbank School, and for a new secondary school for Hazlehead and Countesswells.

In South Lanarkshire, there are bids for expansions of Holy Cross High, and St Andrew’s and St Bride’s high schools, as well as a new social, emotional and behavioural needs building at Kear School, Blantyre.

North Lanarkshire Council has applied for £19m towards an extension to Chryston High and to build a new Gartcosh community hub primary school.

Fife Council is hoping for investment in its Glenrothes secondary schools, Renfrewshire Council is seeking to replace Thorn Primary, and Orkney Islands Council wants an additional support needs centre at Kirkwall.

Dundee City Council made a funding proposal for Western Gateway Primary School, while Argyll and Bute Council wants help to build a new campus for Mull, and East Ayrshire Council hopes to create a new facility at north-west Kilmarnock.

Falkirk Council wants to extend Carrongrange High School, West Lothian Council is seeking help to build a new primary and nursery at Craigshill in Livingston, Clackmannanshire Council is planning a replacement for Lochies School, and East Renfrewshire hopes to upgrade Carolside and Cross Arthurlie primary schools.

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “Since 2007, the number of schools in ‘good’ or ‘satisfactory’ condition has increased from 61 per cent to 90.4 per cent - seeing a 77 per cent reduction in pupils educated in substandard conditions.

"The £2 billion investment in the school estate through LEIP is intended to build on that progress.”He added: “We are currently giving careful consideration to local authorities’ bids for Phase 3 of the Learning Estate Investment Programme and intend to announce the successful bids as soon as possible.”