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Daily Record
Daily Record
National
Stuart Gillespie

Three Dumfries and Galloway councillors call for new high school for Castle Douglas

Councillors are calling for a new high school for Castle Douglas.

Castle Douglas and Crocketford representatives Pauline Drysdale, John Young and Iain Howie have expressed concerns about the condition of the current building following a recent visit.

And they believe the best way forward is a new facility to replace the existing structure, which was built in 1958.

In a joint statement, they said: “Following a recent visit to Castle Douglas High School we, the local councillors, express our concerns as to how difficult it would be to further upgrade the property due to the presence of asbestos.

“The lack of disabled access also remains an on-going problem, alongside the delays regarding modern windows that require installation in some sections of the building.

“The current secondary school estate in the Stewartry, excluding Dalbeattie, is proving costly to maintain, very difficult to upgrade and has on-going high energy costs.

“We would ask the budget setting panel of Dumfries and Galloway Council to carry out a full feasibility study on the costs and savings, benefits and drawbacks, of a new Stewartry learning campus and we strongly agree that the present building is not currently fit for purpose.

“We believe our Stewartry students deserve a modern learning environment, fit for the 21st century and understand the council has a duty of care to ‘Get it Right for Every Child’.”

A council spokesman said: “Castle Douglas High School has seen a significant level of investment and refurbishment in recent years.

“Whilst some works were completed before the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown, others are still planned for future years which will focus on the communal spaces within the school. There are no plans for a new build school within the next few years.”

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