Published: Thursday, 24th July, 2008 8:35am

Fresh school delay fears

A LEADING opposition councillor has warned that East Lothian Council could breach its spring 20ll target for a new primary school in Dunbar - amid rumours that negotiations with developers have reached a standstill.

East Lothian Council has dismissed suggestions that the construction of an upper school - for P4-P7 pupils - is at risk due to failing talks with developers over

purchasing land south of the railway line, on which the new school would be built.

Gordon Saunders, community councillor and former vice-chairman of Dunbar Primary School"s Parent Council, voiced concerns about the project"s progress at Tuesday"s meeting of Dunbar Community Council.

'There is a rumour going round that the guy is not selling up,' he said.

'Has there been any update on the council"s purchase of the land for the primary school?'

Dunbar and East Linton councillor Norman Hampshire (Labour) told members that negotiations were 'ongoing' and admitted that if an agreement could not be reached with the owner of the site, believed to be Scottish development company Elphinstone, then completion by the target date was unlikely.

'It"s a concern that the delay in purchasing the site delays the whole programme,' he said.

'The council doesn"t have an alternative site - that is really the only site that is available and close to the existing primary school.

'The negotiations have to take place as quickly as possible and an agreement reached between the council and the landowner or we"re not going to meet the deadline.'

It is the second time in less than a year that Mr Hampshire has voiced concern about the progress of the project and the impact a delay may have on the current primary school - where the school roll is expected to increase to 1,253 by 2014.

Mr Saunders replied: 'Negotiations have been ongoing for a year now and if they don"t start building very soon I don"t see it happening in time. Parents and people who are staying here have great concerns about it.'

An East Lothian Council spokeswoman said that negotiations were continuing and added: 'We strongly refute any suggestion that there has been a breakdown in communication (with the landowner).

'Such matters carry a high degree of commercial confidentiality and we will ensure that the public are kept informed as soon as we are able.'

Fellow Dunbar councillor Paul McLennan (SNP) dismissed Mr Hampshire"s remarks as 'inaccurate' and accused the opposition member of 'scare mongering.'

'This is not the first time that Councillor Hampshire has made comments about the primary school and not consulted his officials,' he said.

He added that while purchase of the land was yet to be confirmed, other elements of the project were moving forward.

'This doesn"t threaten the whole thing,' he said.

'We"ve had permission to go into the land with test drills, etc, and have been moving forward with design plans.'