New school a step closer

November 19th, 2009

The new joint campus for Lilybank and Glenburn schools took a step closer this week after Education Secretary Fiona Hyslop indicated she was keen to support the project.

Quizzed by Greenock and Inverclyde MSP Duncan McNeil at the Scottish Parliament, Fiona Hyslop revealed that she move swiftly to engage with Inverclyde Council to progress the project once discussions with COSLA are completed.

The local MSP was pleased at the positive response and hailed it as a big step forward for pupils, parents and teachers keen to move on from the existing outdated buildings.

Greenock and Inverclyde MSP Duncan McNeil said: “I am delighted at the positive response we got from the Education Secretary this week and hopefully it brings this exciting project a step closer.

“I had an informal discussion with her after question time to thank her for her positive comments, and while I appreciate she cannot pre-empt the due process that must take place, she gave me further encouragement about this new school.

“I know that Inverclyde Council has put together a strong bid and I will be doing everything I can to make this a reality.

“I know how well this will be received locally by parents, pupils and teachers and builds on the good work that has already been done by Inverclyde Council in bring our school estate up to scratch.”

Lilybank, in Greenock, and Glenburn, in Port Glasgow, are both additional support needs schools but both buildings have been graded as C, which is ‘bad’ and not satisfactory.

Inverclyde Council has pledged £6.4 million to build a new school on the site of Glenburn and applied to the Scottish Government for matched funding.

If the funding is not matched, the project will be delayed for some time and vulnerable children will have to continue to learn in buildings with poor environmental conditions.

An official announcement on the funding is expected to be made by the end of the year.