Calls for a probe as the bill for the Culloden Academy extension rocket by £6 million in less than two months reaching an overall cost of £25.5 million
The estimated cost of a long-planned extension to Culloden Academy has shot up by more than £6 million in less than two months.
Currently at 15 per cent over capacity, the academy is the most overcrowded school in the Highlands.
Highland Council agreed last month that sufficient money would be borrowed to completely rebuild, renovate or extend five schools across the region, including Culloden.
Including £1.5 million for the provision of short-term modular classrooms until the extension is completed, the project’s original budget had been
£7.5 million.
That rose slightly to £7.7 million before it was agreed in September that it would get an extra £10 million, bringing the total expected cost of the school’s extension to £19.2 million.
In a paper due to be discussed at a full meeting of the council this Thursday, however, the cost is now set at £25.5 million.
Inverness South councillor Ken Gowans said questions must be asked about the spiralling cost.
“This issue of ever-increasing estimates for the cost of the badly-needed extension to Culloden Academy really must be formally investigated,” he said.
“The progression from an initial budget of £7.5 million to £25.5 million is deeply concerning – the costs seem to be going up without explanation.
“Since we met at full council in September, when we were told then that the additional funding would bring ‘the total capital investment to £19.2 million’ – it is now well over
£25 million, a rise of just over £6 million.”
