Liberal Democrats keep the pressure up for Boroughmuir

3.00.00pm GMT Sun 22nd Nov 2009

Edinburgh South Liberal Democrat campaigners Fred Mackintosh and Mike Pringle have been keeping pressure on the Scottish Government after funding was released for the renewal of James Gillespie's High School, but not Boroughmuir.

Westminster Spokesperson Fred Mackintosh said, "On 28 September the SNP finally agreed to put up funding for Gillespie's, but nothing was forthcoming for Boroughmuir. In the months before the announcement Mike Pringle and I had collected hundreds of signatures on a petition calling for funding for both schools. The SNP Government's failure to invest in Boroughmuir is a real blow to that school and its community."

"On 20 October 2009 Scottish Ministers responded to our petition with some limited details of how James Gillespie's was to be funded and told us that Boroughmuir would be 'eligable for consideration as part of the next phase of the new school funding'."

Since the first phase was announced on 28 September 2009 - 28 months after the SNP took power in 2007 - Fred and Mike are naturally nervous that the next phase may be equally delayed. Local MSP Mike Pringle reported, "I decided to try to pin down the Minister and have tabled a question in the Scottish Parliament to find out when the next phase will be."

Mike Pringle's Written Question is "To ask the Scottish Executive, further to its news release of 28 September 2009 identifying the first tranche of secondary schools selected for investment, when the next phase of its new school building programme will begin?"

Related Links:

Boroughmuir High School Website.

Some ideas for the renewal of Boroughmuir High School as set out by Malcom Fraser Architects in 2008.