Agenda item

The Committee had before it a report by the Director of Resources which presented an updated Outline Business Case (OBC) for the long term education provision for St Peter’s RC school, including the outcome of the Old Aberdeen House feasibility study as an alternative option to provide a two stream school.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee –

(a)      note the recommended option and associated costs to refurbish Old Aberdeen House with the addition of new build provision to deliver a 21st century learning environment for St Peter’s RC School and recommend approval of this option at the meeting of Finance and Resources Committee on 22 November 2023; and

(b)      subject to approval of recommendation 2.4 to the Finance and Resources Committee, note that a progress report would be presented to a future meeting of the Education and Children's Services Committee in 2024.

The Convener, seconded by the Vice Convener, moved:-

          That the Committee:-

(a)      note that St Peter's RC School was one of two schools in the city whose condition was currently rated lowest as "C", poor; and that the suitability of St Peter's was rated as "C" (poor); and

(b)      approve the recommendations contained in the report.

Councillor Grant, seconded by Councillor Blake, moved as an amendment:-

          That the Committee:-

(a)           note the contents of the options appraisal and the officer recommendation to proceed with Option C;

(b)           note the Education Scotland report, prepared in April 2019 by the HMIE, titled “Report by Education Scotland addressing educational aspects of the proposal by Aberdeen City Council to relocate St Peter’s RC Primary School to the existing Riverbank school building…” concluded that the proposal to relocate St Peter’s RC to a refurbished school at the current Riverbank school site, “has clear educational benefits for children who currently attend St Peter’s RC Primary School and who would have access to a more flexible, modern and healthy living environment, with improved outdoor learning spaces and early learning and childcare facilities;

(c)           note that the same HMIE report stated, “There will also be improved outdoor learning spaces with opportunities for physical education. There is significantly more outdoor space available around the Riverbank building, with more than ten times the amount of hard landscaping and nearly 80 times more soft landscaping than is available at the St Peter’s site.”;

(d)           note that the Options Appraisal sets out the significant disparity in the “total site area” of each option where Riverbank is currently 15,816sqm compared with St Peter’s RC which is only 7,940sqm and agrees that the additional open space in the former presents a significant opportunity for future generations of St Peter’s RC pupils to benefit from significantly better outdoor space;

(e)           note that the Options Appraisal sets out a rationale to develop a school that will accommodate a school roll of up to 434 pupils to cope with possible increased demand and suggests the school roll could be double its current size;

(f)             agree that, if St Peter’s RC were to double in size in the coming years, there is not nearly enough outside space on the existing St Peter’s RC site in order to create an outdoor learning environment that pupils and staff deserve and that therefore Option C does not offer maximum educational benefit for the school community;

(g)           agree that, in light of the above, Committee recommends to the Finance and Resources Committee that it agrees to continue to progress work on Option B with any remaining preparatory work outstanding to be programmed and progressed as much as practical prior to the decant of Riverbank Primary School into new build which is scheduled to open in summer 2024;

(h)           recommend to the Finance and Resources Committee that it instructs the Chief Officer – Capital to refer the proposals for the project to the Budget process in 2024; and

(i)             instruct the Chief Officer – Capital to report back to a future meeting of the Finance and Resources Committee in 2024 with a progress update report.  

On a division, there voted:- for the motion (15) – the Convener; the Vice Convener; Councillors Al-Samarai, Bouse, Brooks, Hazel Cameron, MacGregor, McLellan, McLeod, Radley and Mrs Stewart; and Mrs Cardno, Mr Crawford, Mr Murray and Miss Scott; for the amendment (2) – Councillors Blake and Grant; absent from the division (1) – Mrs Smith.

The Committee resolved:-

(i)       to note that officers would provide an update to Members outwith the meeting on the current situation with the replacement Riverbank School project and the project completion date of Summer 2024; and

(ii)       to adopt the motion.