Highland Council criticised for 'abandoning' former Wick High School as offers over £50,000 are sought
Highland Council is facing criticism for the way it "abandoned" the former Wick High School, with the complex of boarded-up buildings now on the market for roughly the price of a one-bedroom flat in the town.
The school in West Banks Avenue, which was founded in 1910, closed in 2017 when pupils moved to the new £48.5 million community campus nearby.
Offers over £50,000 are being sought for the former school which has become a prominent eyesore and a target for vandals.
Joanna Coghill, chairperson of the Royal Burgh of Wick Community Council, said: "It should never have been left to get in such a dilapidated state."
An entry on the Highland Council website, with a link to the sale particulars, shows that the floor area has been calculated at 11,095 square metres (119,424 square feet) with an overall site area of approximately 1.5 hectares (3.7 acres).
Buildings include the C-listed dressed stone section at the front as well as four 1960s teaching blocks and several single-storey classrooms.
Until earlier this week the particulars also referred to "a standalone games hall", even though the games hall was demolished more than two years ago. The details have now been amended to remove the games hall reference.
Mrs Coghill said: "I am very surprised that it has taken this length of time to get it back onto the market. The pandemic has not helped matters, but I'm sure that it wasn't the only problem.
"It has been left in such a terrible state, vandalised and pretty much abandoned by Highland Council. They had not even bothered to update the listing, as it stated the games hall was still available.
"Others I have spoken to all are of the same opinion – it should never have been left to get in such a dilapidated state. It should have been secured properly once it had been vacated, and I believe many locals have said this previously.
"It is a fine-looking building from the front and, to encourage a future owner, Highland Council should have ensured that there was some kind of upkeep. Locals and visitors to our town have to pass it on their way to the shiny new facility up from there – that doesn't make Highland Council look good at all, as owner and custodian of such a fine building."
Mrs Coghill added: "The price tag is shocking for the size of property but then it will take a good chunk of investment to sort out now. I just hope that a developer will give the older part of the building the investment, time and effort it needs to make it the outstanding property it could be."
She was speaking after the issue had been raised at the August meeting of the community council on Monday night.
Community councillor Allan Bruce pointed out: “There were quite a few anomalies in the advert for the school. It still claimed that the games hall was available. They didn't even check that before they reposted it.”
Mrs Coghill replied: “Shocking. But does it surprise you? No.”
Yvonne Fitzgerald, who runs a property agency based in Thurso, confirmed this week that the price being asked would be similar to the cost of a one-bedroom flat in Wick.
“The building will be worth more than that, but they're going to struggle to sell it because of how high the rates are," she told the John O'Groat Journal. "So what they've done is cut the price to get the building away to offset the price of the rates. That is basically what I think has happened.
“That quite often happens with large commercial properties. That's what happened with the government buildings and the job centre in Wick – they cut the price right back to offset the rates.
“It is less than the cost of a one-bed flat – but, because the rates are so high, that has been done to attract buyers.”
A Highland Council spokesperson said: “The council, after having consulted with local members, had agreed to put the property up for auction. However, substantial construction works were required to create new drains and a pedestrian access for the new school which is adjacent.
"As a result, the auction was postponed and the property is now being advertised for sale.
"There are a number of interested parties. However, the council may offer the property at auction in the future if it does not receive a reasonable offer.
"Council officers have put measures in place to prevent individuals gaining access to the property and conduct regular inspections to make sure the site is secure.”
Despite the attempts to seal off access points, the former school has been targeted by vandals. In May this year, after police officers were observed forcing entry to the former technical block to remove several teenagers, the chairman of Wick High's parent council said such problems were predictable and a consequence of a recently opened walkway running alongside the old school.
Professor Iain Baikie said at the time: “It is so sad to learn that kids, including young teens, have broken into and vandalised the old school – probably as a consequence of the opening of the adjacent new fenced-in path."
The campus opened to pupils in April 2017, replacing Wick High, Wick South Primary School and Pulteneytown Academy, while providing a new library and swimming pool for the community.