AN INVESTIGATION has been promised into the forced closure of St Mungos' Primary School in Alloa.

Councillors meeting on Thursday agreed to kick-off an option appraisal in relation to St Mungo's, which was forced to close in April 2018 as a result of water ingress in the school.

Since then, the pupils have been situated inside Alloa Academy.

Any hopes of a return to the old site appear to have been dashed after condition surveys ruled that a full internal refurbishment is not "economically viable".

Education officials now believe that other options to permanently relocate the school should be assessed.

But while that approach has been backed, councillors have demanded those responsible for the debacle should be fully held to account.

Cllr Craig Holden, housing and environment spokesperson, whose ward contains St Mungo's, said: "I just want to say how disappointed I am with this situation because we've lost a school here.

"I don't intend that that is going to be the end of the matter. 

"It's something that I'm very concerned about and I will be making every effort to get to the bottom of what happened.

"That should not have happened in a facility of this type.

"You don't just walk away from a school – if there are certain individuals or others that are responsible for this, then I fully intend to hold them to account on that."  

Cllr Kenneth Earle admitted the whole process could prove to be an "expensive exercise".

And he added: "Someone, somewhere, an individual or an organisation, must have known what was going on with that school.

"So let's find out – if only to make sure it doesn't happen again."

Options for St Mungo's RC PS include staying within Alloa Academy, building a new standalone school, or a shared campus approach – either a new build or extension of existing property.

The options appraisal may also identify other potential solutions for consideration.

Pete Leonard, strategic director (place), confirmed that condition surveys at St Mungo's had highlighted health and safety issues, with weakened floorboards throughout and unsafe overhead building materials. 

He said: "Previous investigations into the cause of the groundwater issues at the site have proved inconclusive and there remains a high risk of continued problems at this site, which reinforces the view of the consultant surveyors that internal refurbishment would not be economically viable.

"Any option to demolish and rebuild on the site would encounter the same ground water issues and could not be taken forward until a detailed ground water survey and modelling exercise was carried out, which would be expensive and time consuming. 

"Therefore, it is concluded that the existing site is considered as not being viable for a school." 

Meanwhile, councillors also backed the launch of an options appraisal for DeerparkPS and Lochies School, with the site deemed to be beyond in need of a replacement.

Deerpark PS in Sauchie currently shares a site with Lochies, a school for primary aged children with severe and complex additional support needs, and the approach is being taken by the council in preparation for a bid to the next phase of the Scottish Government's Learning Estate Investment Programme (LEIP).

Replacing Deerpark and Lochies with new schools has been identified as a priority following condition surveys, and the options appraisal will look at the current site of Deerpark and Lochies and possible options for new schools. 

Councillors agreed that the process should consider the impact of proposed new housing on the former distillery site at Carsebridge, which is in the Deerpark catchment area, and that the outcome of the options appraisal will then inform the council's LEIP bid for funding.