Whole of Caithness will benefit from Thurso ‘POD’ investment, says Raymond Bremner

Raymond Bremner says the £100 million investment aimed at creating a community facility based around a new Thurso High School will benefit the whole county.

The funding, which has been approved through the council’s Highland Investment Plan, includes money for other projects in Caithness on top of the main school campus.

The ambitious £2.1 billion 20-year financial plan is aimed at bringing benefits to services and communities across the whole of the Highlands. The money will be used to tackle major capital challenges including improving transport and roads, schools and community facilities, depots and offices.

Thurso has been selected as one of the priority locations for a Community POD (Point of Delivery) as part of a new Thurso High School development and the budget approved at last week’s full council meeting includes significant capital funding for the first phase of the project.

Community Points of Delivery will be places where a wide range of council services, including education, can be delivered alongside other partner and community services as part of a future integrated operating model for partnership working.

Councillor Raymond Bremner, the council leader and a Wick and East Caithness member, said: “I am delighted that capital funding has been agreed and plans can move forward. This is great news not just for Thurso but for the whole of Caithness.

“The creation of a community POD within the new Thurso High School project is intended to create a campus that brings together primary and secondary education, early learning and childcare provision and other key community services, located on a single campus.

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"Other projects in phase one include improvements to council depots in Caithness and the resurfacing of the all-weather pitch in Wick.”

Community stakeholder events and public drop-in sessions have taken place over the last couple of months to gather feedback from members of the community.

Options being considered for the Thurso Community POD include:

• A 3-18 campus (one primary school): Thurso High, a combined primary school, early learning and childcare (ELC) provision and additional support needs (ASN) bases all located on one campus.

• A 3-18 campus (two primary schools): As above but with primary school provision split between the 3-18 campus and one other primary school located elsewhere and with revised catchment areas.

• Separate campuses (one primary school): As above but one combined primary school on a separate site from the high school.

• Separate campuses (two primary schools): As above but two separate primary schools with revised catchment areas.

Cllr Bremner added: “This ambitious investment plan will bring benefits to services and communities across the whole of the Highlands. The money will be used to tackle major capital challenges we face including improving transport and roads, our schools and community facilities, depots and offices.”

A report following the Thurso placed-based review will be presented to Highland councillors at their meeting in June. The report will identify outcomes of the review, including the preferred model for the community POD, which councillors will consider.​

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