Karl Rosie urges Highland Council to show ambition and build a new Thurso High School
Highland councillor Karl Rosie has urged the local authority to be ambitious and commit to building a new Thurso High School.
He called on his Thurso and Northwest Caithness colleagues Matthew Reiss, Ron Gunn and Struan Mackie to work with him and external partners to deliver a replacement for the existing complex in Ormlie Road after structural problems came to light.
The school was forced to partially close last month after engineers became concerned about the structural integrity of teaching block "A".
An update was given at today’s meeting of the housing and property committee by Finlay MacDonald, the council's head of property and facilities management.
Mr MacDonald reported that there was corrosion to the structural reinforcement of the concrete frame, and this led to water ingress and quick deterioration. The council says it has no concerns about other buildings in the school, having undertaken a thorough inspection.

For the time being, modular accommodation is being added to replace the affected three-storey block.
Mr MacDonald said members will need to decide whether to fund a refurbishment or a replacement for the 1960s school. This could involve a bid to the Scottish Government’s Learning Estate Investment Programme.
Councillor Rosie pressed for council to show ambition, voicing his “frustration” with progress to date.
“The research and evidence is clear,” he said. “Well-designed buildings and pleasant surroundings can lead to better attainment and concentration, as well as motivation and self-esteem.
“The importance of good school environments is obvious to everyone.”
Councillor Rosie said he was “disappointed” with his Thurso and Northwest Caithness colleagues for sounding out the issues in the press. Councillor Rosie highlighted that he had long pushed for a new school in the town, while other members had felt it was not necessary.
Urging the other ward councillors to work with him and external partners, Councillor Rosie declared: “We’ve got to work our socks off in finding solutions here.
“The opportunity is there to work in partnership. We have to be innovative in examining what possibilities there are, including in the private sector.
“This is a plea to my ward colleagues to take a different approach. Let’s get together and start working on that now.”
Last week, Councillor Reiss said he wanted "unequivocal answers" about the future of Thurso High.
He said: "I will be asking questions in a constructive way at the next Highland Council meeting on December 8. I am hoping very much that the rest of the buildings are okay.
"The school is inspected regularly so I don't understand how suddenly the block – referred to as A block – can go from being safe to a situation where an emergency evacuation was required. That question has not been answered yet."
Councillor Reiss reckoned it would cost between £7 million and £8 million "at a conservative estimate" to replace the block and around £70 million for a new school.
The update on Thurso High School at today's meeting formed part of a gloomy outlook on the council’s property capital report. It reiterated the escalating costs of capital builds and provided updates on various schools in the current programme.
The meeting also heard that pupils will not get into the new Ness Castle Primary School in Inverness until February 27. Mr MacDonald explained that construction problems had resulted in further delays.
The school was initially due for completion in August and pushed back twice, to October and then January 2023.