This week’s council meeting will consider the report to the full council recommending closure of Castlebrae Community High School.
Council Leader Andrew Burns said in his most recent Leader’s Report:-“The Capital Coalition is taking time to consider the detailed contents of this lengthy report and discuss with interested parties, including those campaigning to keep the school open, before making a decision at the Council meeting on 14 March.
Whatever the outcome, we are absolutely committed to building a new school in the Craigmillar area (predicted completion in autumn 2020) – and have already allocated £618,000 of early funding for the start of the design stage in 2017. We realise that the successful regeneration of Craigmillar relies in part on the commitment to a new school and the creation of a safe, family-friendly environment.”
We met with some of the pupils to find out what their thoughts about the school are:-
Some of the pupils’ concerns appear to have been addressed by the council report included in the papers for Thursday’s meeting which runs to some 228 pages, and which covers the extensive consultation process which has been undertaken. For example there is a recommendation to approve free home to school transport for pupils who might change to Portobello High School. The report also recommends that if the site, or part of it, is sold then any monies raised will be directly applied to the new Craigmillar School which is to be delivered by 2020.
But the campaigners are determined to continue to fight for the school even if the decision by the council this Thursday goes against them. The Save the Brae campaign will be presenting a deputation to the meeting in connection with item number 8.6 which is to discuss the future of the school.
The Edinburgh Reporter will be attending the council meeting on Thursday morning and will be running a live blog to add to the council’s own webcasting of the meeting.
You will be able to join us here from about 9.45 a.m.
Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
