West Lothian Council demands answers over ‘broken’ £15m school rebuild pledge
Ministers accused of ignoring pleas to fund £35m Raac-hit school rebuild
The Scottish Government has been branded “deplorable” over its failure to provide promised funding to cover a £35 million school rebuild following a crumbling concrete crisis.
West Lothian Council has been asking Holyrood to cover £15 million of the costs for rebuilding St Kentigern’s Academy in Blackburn, after more than 60% of the building was demolished due to the discovery of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac).
Despite the SNP’s 2026 election manifesto earmarking the school for support, the council claims it has received no funding or communication from ministers in four months. The local authority was forced to borrow £15 million to complete the project, which opened earlier this month, and now faces paying back £30 million over the next three decades from local education budgets.
At a full council meeting on Tuesday, councillors backed a motion condemning the lack of response from the Government.
Councillor Andrew McGuire, who proposed the motion, said the SNP had committed to earmarked funding for the rebuild in its manifesto but had ignored requests for clarity.
“We’ve had nothing, we have had absolutely nothing, we didn’t even get an acknowledgement,” he said. “The SNP want to play politics. They put it in their manifesto. They need to put the money where their mouth is. It’s deplorable.”
Council leader Lawrence Fitzpatrick, who seconded the motion, said he had written more letters to Scottish ministers this year “than primary school children write to Santa”.
He added: “Because of delays we have had to borrow £15 million and this will affect schools.”
The SNP group tabled an amendment, with councillor Moira McKee Shemilt stating there was “no publicly available documentary evidence” confirming a £15 million commitment had been made by Holyrood.
However, the amendment welcomed the 2026 manifesto pledge to deliver the next phase of the Learning Estate Investment Programme, which specifically identified St Kentigern’s as an initial project for support. The SNP amendment asked the council to write to ministers to seek confirmation of the funding amount and expected timescales.
Other councillors expressed frustration at the ongoing lack of communication.
Liberal Democrat councillor Sally Pattle said: “Here we are four months after the election despite yet again contacting the Scottish Government, I feel like I have gone through the looking glass. It is a courtesy to respond when the chief executive of a council or council leader writes to the Scottish Government to ask for information, yet repeatedly that has not happened.”
Conservative depute provost Peter Heggie urged the Government to "please stick to your promises and give us the money", while Labour councillor Craig Meek branded the situation: “Yet another promise. Yet another let-down.”
Following the debate, the council agreed to instruct its chief executive to write to Depute First Minister Jenny Gilruth seeking urgent clarification on whether any financial contribution will be made towards the project. The council will also write to the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills and both West Lothian constituency MSPs.
A council spokesperson confirmed the letters would be sent, noting the £1 million annual borrowing cost for the next 30 years will have a "major impact on council finances going forward".
The spokesperson added that the motion commended council officers for their swift action to demolish the affected areas and oversee the new extension "all at great speed" after Raac was identified, while thanking the school community for its patience during the disruption.