Progress towards the next stage of consultation over an £8 million Arbroath school has been overshadowed by a political row, amid a claim the way the council is being run is a “disgrace.”
The grounds of Hospitalfield House have been chosen as the preferred site for the 500-pupil primary to replace Timmergreens and Muirfield schools.
Hospitalfield was ranked the best of four options by Angus education officials, and the continuing dialogue with local parent councils will now move into formal consultation, after a full meeting of Angus Council yesterday approved a report setting out progress on the project.
However, the document was only carried at the vote following an angry debate in which Angus Alliance administration councillors were accused of railroading through an important report against agreed protocol.
SNP councillor Sheena Welsh raised the issue after saying she welcomed any improvement to the school estate in Arbroath and had no wish to delay the scheme, but the report before the full council had been sought by the education committee and should have gone there first.
“In their undue haste to push ahead, the Alliance have missed out a complete stage of the proper procedures of this council,” she said. “This council is being asked to jump the gun and force this through without proper debate.
“We have a fait accompli and are in danger of damaging the democratic transparency, of which the people of Arbroath and Angus have an expectation and a right.”PromiseCouncillor Glennis Middleton said, “This report was promised to go back to the education committee, on which there are external representatives with voting rights.
“Now that they no longer have the opportunity to debate the proposal there is no point in us having outside representation when as and when we choose we decide to take decisions without that representation being present.”
The Hospitalfield row follows earlier SNP anger over the handling of a report relating to the appointment of a preferred developer for affordable housing in Angus.
Councillor Bill Middleton told the council, “I think it is a disgrace the way this council is operating at the moment.”
Education convener Peter Nield defended the report’s inclusion on the full council agenda and said he was “shocked” by the criticism.
“The education committee were promised further reports and further reports they will get,” he said. “This report has come to the appropriate place. An awful lot of pre-background has already gone on with the two parent councils and the democracy is the consultation which we will now continue with.
“I have no fears in this report, this is democracy in action,” he added.
Council leader Bob Myles said, “Once again we see an amendment from the opposition to defer and delay. If we moved at their pace it would not be snail’s pace, it would be dead slow and stop and nothing would be happening in this council.
“It is only right we move with this so the children and people of Arbroath can get their new school at the earliest opportunity.”