23 August 2018
Peterhead Community Campus snapshot
Below is an update on the Peterhead Community Campus project.
• The campus is in the Council’s Capital Plan for years 2023- 2028.
• The plan is to build a new Academy and also a new Central School. There will be a huge demand for early year’s facilities, for children aged 3+, which is being considered in the scope of the project.
• Also being considered in scope currently is the need for an enhanced sports provision for the community.
• The favoured location at present is a new Kinmundy site but there are still the two options being considered. Both Kinmundy and the current site will be the subject of a public consultation and feasibility studies. These will be done shortly with the results being used to instruct the Council as to where the Campus should be built. The timescale for this discussion is year-end 2018.
• The Council has agreed to set aside funds looking towards the 2023 budget. This includes spend in the short and medium term.
• At present there has been no confirmation of any external funding, however we will continue to investigate potential sources. If such funding is realised, it may have an impact on the date of the programme. At this stage we are progressing with a fully self-funded project model.
Some of the questions we have been asked include:
The timescales of 2023-28 seem very far in the future?
The Council is proactive in their aim of getting the new school planning moved forward. Although the finance dates may seem a time away, the preparation/planning works have already commenced. This means that the Council will be able to act immediately if other finance source becomes available.
Is a long “lead time” normal?
Absolutely. This project is expected to cost in the region of £71million and people would expect us to spend this amount of public money wisely rather than quickly. Parts of the development of the project are already underway.
What is the likely build time?
For a new build on the scale of the Peterhead Campus, it will be two years from the start of construction.
Who makes the final decision of where the campus will be?
Recommendations will be made to the Buchan Area Committee then passed on to Full Council.
When do you expect to have that decision?
The aim is to get this completed by the end of 2018.
What will happen to the original consultation that was held last year, is this going to be wasted?
The original Consultation will be included but a more rigorous process must be undertaken before the final decision is made. These will provide business cases and a recommendation for the preferred site.
Some comments below:
Cllr Norman Smith, Aberdeenshire Council’s Buchan Area Committee chair, said: “I would like to reassure residents in Peterhead that although the 2023 to 2028 dates outlined in our capital plan appear far off, we are working quickly and purposefully to ensure this fantastic state-of-the-art community campus is built as soon as possible, so that people in this town will see the benefits.
“We are absolutely committed to making Peterhead the best possible place for people to live, work and visit. As well as the new community campus there improvements such as Drummers Corner; new businesses relocating to the town and attractions such as the Arbuthnot Museum and recreational facilities such as Catto Park demonstrate that we are working with the community to positively transform Peterhead.
Cllr Diane Beagrie is the vice-chair of the Buchan Area Committee. She said: “The new community campus has been an aspiration for a number of years and I am pleased to see the progress made in recent months. Since it was confirmed that the campus will appear on our Capital Plan, things have noticeably stepped up a gear and we are seeing demonstrable progress. Both the Buchan Area Committee and Full Council will be updated regularly so that members and the community have reassurance that this will become a reality.”