Consultation on ambitious £290m Midlothian schools programme

Plans to build a new high school in Gorebridge and campus in Shawfair, as well as four new primary schools, alongside replacing and extending a further 15 schools and campuses in the next five years, will be presented to councillors for approval.

Ten of the proposals will require statutory consultations, with three planned for this year.

The first consultations involve a planned new primary school at Easthouses and one at Hopefield Farm, Bonnyrigg, as well as plans to replace Mayfield School campus and add Additional Support Needs provision.

Next year, consultations will be held over plans for a new primary school at Gorebridge, a new Beeslack High School and a new Auchendinny Primary School. A planned new secondary school for Gorebridge which was due to be built by 2024 has been pushed back a year, with the consultation now scheduled for 2023/24.

In the same year, people will be asked to give their views on three other projects – a new Lasswade Primary School, refurbishment and extension of Penicuik High School, and the new Shawfair school campus.

The report says: “Projects involving potential school closures are excluded from this proposed delegation of authority and governance will continue to be sought from council to proceed to statutory consultation on any school closure proposal.”