Wednesday December 3rd 2025
West Lothian Council headquarters
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Stuart Sommerville
West Lothian council faces paying an extra £1m a year for the next 30 years to cover the costs of the rebuild of St Kentigern’s Academy.
That’s the cost of borrowing £15m on top of £20m to deliver a new school for Blackburn.
This week council Leader Lawrence Fitzpatrick repeated the council’s plea to the Education Secretary to help cover part of the £35m bill for the rebuild.
The Scottish Government said Westminster’s Labour Government had failed “to invest properly” in public services.
In a letter to the SNP’s education minister, Jenny Gilruth, Councillor Fitzpatrick said: “I was disappointed and dismayed by your response that the Scottish Government has not recognised our desperate request.
“As you have stated, it is for local authorities to manage and maintain their schools, however given the prominence in the Scottish Government’s narrative of an improving school estate nationally a vital contribution to this project would be welcomed.”
Ms Gilruth visited St Kent’s and met Councillor Fitzpatrick and =the Education Executive chair Councillor Andrew McGuire in February.
Councillor Fitzpatrick reminded the minister in his latest letter:
“We were delighted by your comment that our request for £15 million towards the £35 million cost was the ‘most deserving case’. We both had the clear impression of your strong undertaking to support our request.”
Almost 60% of the school had to be demolished because RAAC roofing panels were discovered. For almost two years pupils have been housed in portable classrooms on site. Exams have has to be farmed out to other council locations and pupils are bussed to and from PE lessons.
St Kent’s is one of the largest schools in West Lothian. It draws pupils from across the county. It has singing stars Lewis Capaldi and Susan Boyle among its former pupils.
In his letter Councillor Fitzpatrick highlighted the dire financial situation the council is in.
A council spokesperson told the Local Democracy Reporting Service, that it it it has to borrow the additional £15m it first asked Holyrood for two years ago it will cost the council an extra £30m in repayments in the long term – an extra £1m a year.
In his letter the council leader said: “As you may recall, the overall capital costs of addressing RAAC in community buildings and schools in West Lothian has been £76.6 million, of which £69.6 million is related to the learning estate and £35 million specifically for securing the future of St Kentigern’s Academy. This has come in the backdrop of sustained real terms reductions in our general capital funding grant from the Scottish Government.
“Due to the efforts of council officers, the new extension at St Kentigern’s Academy is scheduled for completion in Spring 2026 and I again politely request financial support from Scottish Government in terms of the £15 million gap in funding that the council is having to factor into its budget planning for this project.
“As we are all aware, Audit Scotland some weeks ago reported a £1 billion underspend by the Scottish Government. Additionally, there has been an additional £5.2 billion extra monies provided by the U.K. Government with a further £800 million recently provided by the Chancellor of the Exchequer.
“From a West Lothian perspective, community priorities top the list and, in this context, it has been noted that the First Minister some weeks ago committed £20 million towards a yet unbuilt concert hall in Edinburgh.”
Responding to the letter, a spokesperson for Scottish Government reiterated to the LDRS that local authorities own and operate school buildings, unlike in other parts of the UK, and as such, they have a statutory duty to manage and maintain their school estate.
They added: “Ministers recognise this is a worrying time for children, families, teachers and school staff, and West Lothian Council should be commended for its efforts to tackle RAAC in its school estate.
“However, there will be no Scotland-wide, Scottish Government RAAC remediation fund – only the UK Government has the financial flexibility to respond to RAAC with a national fund.
“If the UK Government Budget had committed to invest properly in public services and infrastructure, the Scottish Government would have more financial headroom to consider supporting important capital infrastructure projects such as this.
“As it stands, the increase in funding for the Scottish Government will not even cover half the cost of the employer’s national insurance contributions brought in this year.”
“Guidance on the management of RAAC is publicly available, including from the Institution of Structural Engineers, with building owners recommended to adopt a risk-based approach.”
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