Step forward towards long-term future for St Kentigern's

The meeting of the Council Executive on Tuesday 3 October 2023 has backed the next stage of the plan to deliver a long-term proposal for the school.

This involves progressing the £35 million project for a replacement building for the area affected by RAAC through the next stage of the design process. 

The project design also provides space within the site area to accommodate a replacement swimming pool, subject to additional funding being provided by the Scottish Government at a later date.

The council has already allocated £20.2 million of its own resources to the project, and is seeking additional support from the Scottish Government to bridge the remaining gap.

Executive councillor for education Andrew McGuire said: "We are keen to deliver a long-term solution for St Kentigern's as quickly as possible.

"A huge amount of work has already taken place to ensure that St Kentigern's remains open and operational, and the school is completely safe for pupils and staff at all times. Thanks to everyone involved for their hard work and understanding during this challenging time.

"With work ongoing to remove all the RAAC planks and a temporary solution in place to ensure continuity of education, our focus must now be on the delivering a permanent solution for the school.

"We have been proactively dealing with RAAC for a number of years in West Lothian, before it became the national issue it is now, and are investing over £53 million to rectify council buildings affected by it.

"We hope to hear from the Scottish Government soon over additional funding for local authorities like us who are affected by RAAC. We are also still awaiting the outcome of our bid to the Scottish Government's Learning Estate Investment programme (LEIP) for funding towards a new school for Craigshill in Livingston, which has been delayed since December 2022."