Call for new Castlebrae school now

CAMPAIGNERS fighting to save Castlebrae High School today urged city chiefs to ask the Scottish Government for extra cash to fund a replacement now – not in eight years’ time.

Save the Brae, backed by Edinburgh East Labour MP Sheila Gilmore, called on city education leader Paul Godzik and council leader Andrew Burns to bid for funding to allow work to get under way on a replacement immediately.

Castlebrae has been earmarked for closure but the new school is not expected to open until around 2020. However, campaigners argued a new school now would bring in new families and boost the stalled regeneration of Craigmillar.

Kevin Findlay, chairman of Save the Brae, said: “Time is short. The stakes are high. If we miss this chance, the next education committee will not be until March – by which time the extra millions will have gone elsewhere.”