£10million extension to Dunbar Grammar School is unveiled

Plans for the new two-storey extension were today unveiled by East Lothian Council who announced they have awarded the contract for the development to Innovate.

The council has already invested £380,000 increasing capacity at the school over the summer.

This second phase of work will comprise of a large two-storey extension to the east, providing new-build teaching and ancillary accommodation, significant alterations to various areas within the existing school, a new all-weather pitch, and associated external works.

It will be partly funded by contributions from developers involved in building new housing in the area.

Councillor Norman Hampshire, the council's planning and environment spokesperson, said: "This is fantastic news for Dunbar and for the Grammar.

"We have welcomed development in the town and we have a growing and thriving community. Dunbar Grammar is at the very heart of our community and this expansion will mean that it is fit for purpose and ready to give all our young people from Dunbar and the Dunbar catchment a great education and a really good start in life.”

However fellow Dunbar ward councillor Michael Veitch voiced concern at the increase in ths school roll by 350 pupils.

He said: "While I wholeheartedly agree with my colleague Cllr Hampshire in welcoming the progress of this first rate extension to the school, I'm aware that many of my constituents will also be concerned about the further roll increase projected as a result of future hosting growth which will almost certainly necessitate a further extension in the not too distant future.

"It's bad enough that the Scottish Government are requiring us to build thousands more houses in East Lothian but even worse that the SNP in East Lothian have threatened to unpick the approved draft local plan to increase the share of housing in the east of the county, which would increase the roll at Dunbar Grammar yet further."