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ACADEMY REBUILD HANGS IN THE BALANCE

COUNCIL chiefs have admitted there are still no guarantees the phase two rebuild of Stranraer Academy will go ahead next year.

The rebuild hinges on a Public Private Partnership deal being accepted by the Scottish Executive - and that hangs in the balance, they say.

Only one company has come forward with a bid for the PPP project which the council hope will be sufficient to upgrade the entire school stock. But the Executive are to examine the bid, from Glasgow firm Carnmore, to make sure they are getting value for money before releasing their £103 million stake in the deal.

At a high-powered meeting of Stranraer Academy School Board on Tuesday, Dumfries and Galloway Council Convener Andrew Campbell asked for parents and pupils to give the authority their trust. He said,

"You must trust the council and your councillors over the next few months.

"We have to work with the Executive here as we are their delivery arm. But we are as a close as we possibly can be to signing a deal at the moment."