10 December 2021
Consultation on the closure of Longhaven School approved by committee
Aberdeenshire Council’s Education and Children’s Services Committee agreed for a statutory consultation on the proposal to close Longhaven School to proceed.
The Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010 requires councils undertake a formal consultation process whenever changes are proposed to the school estate, including the proposed closure of a school.
The statutory consultation must run for at least 30 days during term time. The consultation exercise will ensure any concerns or questions regarding the proposal can be addressed. The consultation regarding the closure of Longhaven School will run from Tuesday, December 7, until Thursday, February 24.
A public meeting will be held at 6:30pm on Monday, January 24, at Longhaven Community Hall. An online meeting will also take place at 11am on Tuesday, January 25. You can join the online meeting via this link: https://tinyurl.com/Longhaven-Public-Meeting
Cllr Gillian Owen, Aberdeenshire Council’s Education and Children’s Services Committee chair, said: “Considering the closure of any school is not a decision that anyone takes lightly. I am grateful to the council officers who have spent considerable time thinking through all the factors when completing the options appraisal and setting out the proposal for closure. However, the key priority must be what is best educationally for children in the Longhaven catchment area, not just now but in the future too. This consultation exercise will help determine this.”
Committee vice chair Cllr Rosemary Bruce added: “I very much hope everyone in the Longhaven community has their say by taking part in the consultation process. We really want everyone to be involved so we can make a decision about school provision which helps best meet the community’s needs.”
The consultation document will be presented to members of the Buchan Area Committee on Tuesday, January 11. A report outlining responses to the statutory consultation will be considered by the Education and Children’s Services Committee at its meeting in August 2022.
Following the completion of the options appraisal, the majority of uses suggested for the Longhaven Primary School building would see it discontinued as a school. Therefore, council officers recommended a statutory consultation takes place on whether the school should close permanently.
Longhaven Primary School was temporarily mothballed in October 2018 and further extensions were agreed to that date. As no Primary 1 pupils enrolled at the school or families transferred older children to the school during the 2021/2022 session, it was necessary for the school to remain mothballed.
To read the report in full please visit https://committees.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/committees.aspx?commid=494&meetid=19869
You can also watch a webcast of the Education and Children’s Services Committee by visiting https://aberdeenshire.public-i.tv/core/portal/home