Plans for a new secondary school to serve pupils from Dundee, Perth and Kinross and Angus have taken a step forward.
The proposals for the cross-boundary Western Gateway scheme were considered by councillors meeting in Dundee and Angus.
Dundee’s children and families services convener Stewart Hunter told councillors on Monday there will be full consultation over options for schooling in the Western Gateway, where talks between the three councils are ongoing.
And he said there were no preferred options for whether to merge Braeview Academy and Craigie High School.
The move was welcomed by Lochee Labour councillor Michael Marra.
He said: “The clear instruction from council to officers is that all options for the school estate must be on the table and have equal prominence. There can be no preferred options presented to citizens.
“In the east of the city that is vital for the communities of Craigie High and Braeview High who were given promises no merger would be considered. They now have the option of investing in those communities or starting something new on a different site.”
Mr Marra said there was an immediate need for a primary school in the Western Gateway and that a roof tax paid by developers could be used to fund it.
He said: “I am pleased that my constituents in the western gateway now have the option of a primary school that could be through planning in six months after council approval of the policy.
“That is a contrast to a minimum wait of seven years for a super-campus. I actually believe that seven year figure is wildly optimistic given the complexity of a concept untried anywhere in this country.
“There has been a decade-long dispute over Madras in Fife where not a foundation has been dug nor a brick been laid.”
Paul Clancy, executive director of Dundee City Council’s children and families services department, said he would be extremely disappointed if a new school for primary and secondary pupils was not open within seven years.
Mr Hunter urged as many people as possible to take part in the consultation.
Elected members in Angus also approved progressing further with talks yesterday.
Children and learning committee convener Derek Wann described it as “a significant milestone in partnership working”.
Monifieth SNP councillor Beth Whiteside said: “I am really pleased to see the council are moving forward with this.
“I appreciate it is early days but I am very hopeful that this collaboration can continue and we see some results here.”
