Campaigners are demanding that the council reconsiders its plans for a super school and that it listens to the “overwhelming opposition” from people who live in both South Queensferry and Kirkliston.
The group has set up a petition asking that a new school is established in Kirkliston instead of extending the school in South Queensferry.
Parents are concerned that the council’s Education, Children, and Families Committee will meet next Tuesday, March 25, to vote on the controversial proposal to extend Queensferry High School (QHS), which would create a ‘super’ school with 1,800 students.
Iain MacDonald is a resident and parent. He said: “As a concerned resident of South Queensferry, I am deeply alarmed by the council’s proposal to expand QHS into a ‘super’ school. Not only do I fear that such an extension would negatively affect the quality of education and children’s wellbeing, but there are also significant concerns about the added pressure on traffic, particularly on Station Road and surrounding roads. The extension would also result in the loss of vital parking spaces at the school, further exacerbating existing issues.
“Additionally, the proposal overlooks a more balanced, sustainable solution for both communities: the establishment of a new, dedicated high school in Kirkliston. This approach would offer Kirkliston residents new, modern facilities, ensure a closer-knit community, and provide a greener, healthier, and long-term solution for the town. Such a development would also help to better distribute the student population across the area, preserving the unique character of both South Queensferry and Kirkliston.
“The community has made its stance clear. In the public consultation held in 2023, an overwhelming 98% of Queensferry residents and 78% of Kirkliston residents (over 700 respondents) opposed the expansion of QHS. Instead, the vast majority of residents have voiced strong support for a brand new high school in Kirkliston. Despite this, the council is pressing forward with plans to extend QHS, ignoring the voices of the very people they are meant to serve.
“As the vote on this proposal approaches, we are calling on all concerned residents to join us in voicing their opposition. By signing this petition and sharing their concerns, they can send a powerful message to Edinburgh Council that the community does not support the extension of Queensferry High School. It’s time to put our children’s welfare first and ensure the long-term viability of our towns by revisiting the idea of a new high school in Kirkliston.
“The community’s collective opposition is clear, and it’s vital that Edinburgh Council listen to the communities of South Queensferry and Kirkliston and reject the proposal to extend Queensferry High School.”
Education Committee meeting
The council is to consider its report after consideration of both options – either a new school in Kirkliston or the extension of the existing one. And the recommendation from officers is to opt for the extension. There is a lot to read in the report which is embedded below but the capital which it would take to build a new school is almost twice as much as building an extention.
Officers say the cost of buying land would be £2.25 million but it is the construction cost of £79.90 million which adds considerably to the total.
To build a new school in Kirkliston is estimated at £91.65 million and to extend South Queensferry High School would cost £52 million.
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Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
