Angie Brown,Edinburgh and East reporterand
Hope Webb,Blackburn
West Lothian Council
The council has allocated £20m of its own funding to rebuild St Kentigern’s Academy in Blackburn, and is seeking additional support to bridge the remaining gap for the £35m costs.
West Lothian Council’s leader is urging the Scottish government to reconsider its decision not to provide £15m towards the rebuild of its largest secondary school following the discovery of crumbling concrete.
The council has allocated £20m to rebuild St Kentigern’s Academy in Blackburn, and is seeking additional support to meet the £35m total cost.
Lawrence Fitzpatrick said in a letter to Scotland’s education secretary Jenny Gilruth he was “disappointed and dismayed” she had not recognised his “desperate request”.
The Scottish government said it had been in regular contact with councils where Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (Raac) had been identified in schools.
Lawrence Fitzpatrick urged the education secretary to reconsider and asked for an urgent meeting
Raac was used in building projects across the UK between the mid-1950s and the early 1980s.
It is a lightweight form of concrete which has a lifespan of around 30 years. After this time it is prone to crumbling and failure, especially if it gets wet.
In 2023 the Scottish government confirmed that 16 local authority areas had discovered Raac in their schools.
More than half of the site at St Kentigern’s – including the gymnasium, assembly hall and a number of practical classrooms – has been closed since April 2023 after surveys revealed deteriorating Raac roof panels posed an unacceptable safety risk.
It is hoped the new building would be complete by June 2026.
Built in 1973, more than 1,100 pupils currently attend the school.
In his letter, Mr Fitzpatrick said: “I was disappointed and dismayed by your response that the Scottish government has not recognised our desperate request.
Sandra Strachan, who has a grandchild at the school says it’s hugely disruptive for the pupils and the community
“As you have stated, it is for local authorities to manage and maintain their schools, however given the prominence in the Scottish government’s narrative of an improving school estate nationally a vital contribution to this project would be welcomed.”
He urged the education secretary to reconsider and asked for an urgent meeting.
A Scottish government spokesperson said the education secretary had been reassured on progress made by the council in dealing with Raac identified in the school during a meeting at the site.
“National guidance has been available from the Institute of Structural Engineers to local authorities since March 2022.
“That guidance remains good practice for councils to adhere to and uses a risk-based approach to manage Raac.”
Liam Russell, was in sixth year at St Kentigern’s Academy when the Raac issues were first uncovered
Sandra Strachan, who has a grandchild at the school said it was hugely disruptive for the pupils and the community.
“My grandson has to go to a Portakabin to have his lunches and they also don’t have a gym so the kids have to travel, which is taking up quite a lot of time, so it’s quite disruptive for all the kids,” the manager of local coffee shop, The Coffee Club, said.
She added that the £15m blackhole was a big problem.
“I don’t think the council has enough budget for that so I don’t think it will be able to pay that out, it’s a lot of money,” she said.
Liam Russell, was in sixth year at St Kentigern’s Academy when the Raac issues were first uncovered.
“There were so many problems when I was there,” the former pupil said.
“The roof was falling apart, on numerous occasions tiles would fall through the roof and so many parts of the school had to be shut.
“It was a nuisance when I was there so I cant imagine how much worse it is for people now to deal with.
“Nobody wants to walk into a school that’s basically falling apart.
“Imagine trying to learn or teach, for that matter, in such a horrible environment?”
