Former Forres Academy teacher angry at latest delay

FORMER Forres Academy teacher, George Alexander, has dubbed as "disgraceful" delays in construction of new classrooms at the school.

At a recent Children and Young People’s Services Committee meeting, Mr Alexander, who is now a councillor for Forres, expressed his dismay after an announcement that the work has been delayed again, and is not now expected to be completed until the summer holidays.

"You said it was disappointing, I would like to go a step further and say it’s downright disgraceful," said Mr Alexander to fellow Forres councillor Anne Skene - who is chair of the children and young people’s services committee - at the meeting.

"This shouldn’t just be brushed over - this is a building that should have been ready by Christmas and now won’t be ready until August," he said. "It’s a total waste of taxpayers money and an inconvenience to staff and pupils. Somebody should be getting a kick up the rear end for it."

A report has outlined that the replacement of hutted classrooms is nearing completion, but the handover has been delayed until the final water connections are made.

"There have been a series of delays in preparing the new extension for occupation and that is unfortunate," said a Moray Council spokesperson. "The council is in ongoing discussions with Scottish Water with a view to having the water connections completed and we have now been assured by Scottish Water that they are in possession of all the necessary information to allow the connections to be made."

The council confirmed that with the school holidays rapidly approaching, the classrooms are unlikely to be fuly operational until the new academic session.

He added: "It is hoped that can be achieved within a matter of a few weeks. Despite the delays, the new facilities are well worth waiting for and will prove to be a great boon for the school and the wider community."

A spokesman for Scottish Water had a different version of events: "We have not received all the information required from the applicant, via the licensed provider, to enable us to consider the application to be connected to Scottish Water’s network," he said. "When it is re-submitted, with all the required information, we will proceed with our consideration of the application."

Councillor Alexander is disappointed that the delays have caused extended disruption and wants the culprits, be it Moray Council, Scottish Water or other contractors, to finish the job ASAP.

Mr Alexander said that staff at the academy have been finding it difficult to teach the pupils while being "inundated with water, dust and noise."

In July last year he watched contractors lower a roof on to the building only to have to remove it again. "I knew immediately that there was something funny going on with this contractor," he said. "If they got the wrong roof, then had to take it off and put another one on I would be buzzing about like a bee to make sure they’re doing everything else properly."