Council chiefs across much of Scotland are considering their options after the Scottish Government rejected funding bids for more than 20 school building projects.
Ministers left communities in a dozen local authority areas “devastated” this week as they revealed there would only be enough Government money to support plans to develop ten new schools across the nation.
Amid soaring costs, the Government had repeatedly delayed announcing the successful bids for the third phase of its learning estate investment programme (LEIP) for almost a year.
The third phase of the funding was expected to involve £295 million of Government money, to be matched by councils, but the amount committed this week is understood to have been between £225m and £250m.
There was less money available because the Government had recently agreed to provide extra finance for 20 projects, which had been awarded funding in the first and second phases of the £1 billion LEIP, due to rising costs.
Highland Council had applied for funding for four primary schools and a school for pupils with additional support needs, but it was told this week that all of the bids had been rejected.
The local authority’s convener, Bill Lobban, said: “To say this is disappointing news is somewhat of an understatement and it will be devastating for communities who desperately need a new school. We will need to carefully consider the outcome of the Scottish Government’s decision and will be urgently discussing the way forward from here."
Other councils which were left disappointed include Aberdeenshire, South Lanarkshire, Fife, Dundee City, Renfrewshire, East Ayrshire, Dumfries and Galloway and East Renfrewshire.
