Stonehaven school project moves to the next stage

Plans for a new school in Stonehaven have taken a step forward with councillors agreeing to move to the next stage of consideration.

For Stonehaven, the intention is to replace Dunnottar School and Carronhill School on another site within the town.

The project was added to the council’s Capital plan in April, and a public meeting was held in May.

Informal engagement has been taking place since last August with various stakeholder groups, alongside initial planning and feasibility works.

No final decision has yet been made on the plans, nor has a planning application been submitted at this stage.

Following an update on progress, the Kincardine & Mearns Area Committee has agreed that the Ury playing fields, next to Mackie Academy, should be adopted as the preferred location for the development.

The schools would have capacity for 217 pupils at Dunnottar School and 48 for Carronhill School, each with their own accommodation and with access to shared facilities, as part of a campus approach.

The project will now move to the next stage of consideration, known as Gateway Stage 2, allowing for more detailed design and cost planning to take place.

No final decision has yet been made on the plans, nor has a planning application been submitted at this stage.

Kincardine & Mearns Area Committee chair Cllr Wendy Agnew said: “The need for replacement facilities for these schools has been established for some time and the campus approach would allow for co-location while still providing independent facilities for each of the schools.

“This project will require careful and specific design consideration to appropriately meet the needs of the children, parents and staff of both schools, and there will be further opportunities for community input before any formal decisions are made.”

Work on the new school plan will continue over the coming months, with this stage of consideration due to continue until Spring next year.

Education & Children’s Services Committee chair Cllr Gillian Owen said: “This is an important project for the Stonehaven community and the campus approach is one that we’ve seen successfully implemented in Alford and Inverurie in recent years.

"I look forward to these projects developing further.”