Borders town fights for 11 years to see new primary school for their children
Eyemouth parents say ‘negligence or incompetence’ could both be at play - but they are determined to see a new primary for their children
Parents are intensifying their push for a new build primary school after an 11 year delay by the local authority.
Scottish Border Council (SBC) first launched a feasibility study for a new Eyemouth primary in 2015.
However, the project has repeatedly stalled and now SBC says it is short of funds for a replacement school.
Meanwhile, parents say, the existing building has mould, damp, ceiling tiles falling in and is not fit for purpose.
A spokeswoman for a campaign group formed from local parent councils said: “There is a fundamental problem here, in that this situation has been allowed to arise over an 11-year period.
“We don't know if it's negligence, if it's incompetence or a mixture.
“But Eyemouth still doesn't have a new primary school 11 years later, and the current primary school has fallen to bits.
“There's mould. The toilets are broken. It's not big enough. It's not wheelchair accessible.
“The roof’s falling apart. It's a dire situation, and it's not been addressed.”
Eyemouth primary school’s fate has been subject to a decade’s long saga beginning in 2015 when SBC launched a feasibility study looking at options for a new school.
Its conclusion was that moving the primary into the same building as the new build Eyemouth High School was not a feasible option.
Council bosses raised legal and financial issues while the community was worried about moving young children to a school on the edge of the town.
It took three years from the initial study - in 2018 - for SBC to canvas community views on the school proposals.
A year later, in 2019, the council reported its findings and the town was clear that the preferred option was a new build school on the existing site on Coldingham Road.
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It was then another two years, in 2021, before SBC launched a public consultation that gave three options for Eyemouth primary.
These were a new build school on Coldingham Road; move the primary into the secondary school and build a new early learning centre at the high school site; or move the primary school to the high school campus but in a new building.
The consultation outcome was a clear appetite for a new, purpose-built school.
But parents claim there was then a four-year period of no communication from the council and the proposals went cold.
In 2023, SBC announced an ambitious school replacement programme that included a new Eyemouth Primary School.
David Robertson, Chief Executive of SBC, said any increased construction costs would be met by the council.
An extra £11 million had been allocated to the new Peebles High School, and £10m had been found to plug a funding shortfall for new schools in Earlston and Galashiels.
A further £5m was found by SBC for the cost of Galashiels Academy while the cost of Peebles High School increased to £61m from £50m and SBC met this cost.
Finally, last October, SBC launched a statutory consultation on proposals to incorporate the primary school into the high school building.
The consultation was withdrawn shortly before the end of the consultation period because of the number of negative responses - 369 or 421 replies objected to the proposal.
Local councillor James Anderson of the Scottish Borders independent group, has been involved with the campaign for a new primary school for the past 10 years.
He said: “It reached a head in the autumn of last year when SBC withdrew the consultation with parents and the community coming together to really fight for a new school.”
Early this year, SBC carried out an engagement exercise with the Eyemouth Community.
The outcome was that a new standalone primary and early learning centre on the Coldingham Road site was - again - overwhelmingly the preferred option.
Yet in May, the council announced it is developing plans for two options - a new school on the existing site and creating a shared campus with the high school.
Council estimates show a new school would cost up to £25m while a shared campus would be £15.7m.
SBC has said there is no additional funding for Eyemouth Primary School and that only £14.7m is available.
A new report is now expected in September.
The parent council said engagement sessions with the council’s director of infrastructure earlier this year were positive.
Parent Carrie Haddow, whose daughter is now off to high school, said: “So we were bitterly disappointed at the end of May to find that when he did produce his report to the council at the council meeting, he was proposing to to look at a standalone primary school but he also said he would be looking to take forward the campus option.”
Parents say they have a “real fear” that when the next council report is produced in September, it will focus on the shared campus option.
They are calling for the Scottish government now to intervene.
In a letter to ministers, Samuel Rennie, Eyemouth Provost and chair of Eyemouth Community Council, said: “The fact that SBC has insufficient funds, coupled with the 11-year delay, raises questions about how this situation has arisen and why.
“Only the Scottish government can hold SBC to account for this delay and the resulting funding shortfall.”
The campaign spokeswoman added: “There is a sense in Eyemouth we are a bit forgotten about and SBC uses that to its advantage.
“But they have underestimated the tremendous Eyemouth community spirit and how important the primary school is to the town.”
SBC was contacted for comment.
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