School rebuild options 'being considered'

A replacement Castle Rushen High School is set to be open by 2030

Options for a replacement high school and swimming pool in the south on the Isle of Man are still being considered by the government, the treasury minister has confirmed.

Speaking in the House of Keys Alex Allinson said the rebuild of Castle Rushen High School was "long overdue and was a priority for the department and for the government as a whole".

But when asked by Chris Thomas MHK about the estimated cost of the pool within the scheme, Dr Allinson said "no specific budget" could be given at this stage.

The minster also told politicians he hoped a consultation with the local population in Castletown would be underway "later on this year".

In January a conceptual image of a plan for the rebuild of the aging school, set to be complete by 2030, were released by the education department.

The plan, which features a six-lane pool within a sport hub, was released after the department agreed to continue to subsidise a nearby community swimming facility.

The Southern Swimming Pool faced the threat of closure in January

Dr Allinson said the departments had since "procured specialist advice" to understand the "best practice from UK and further afield in terms of building a first-class, quality educational establishment for the Isle of Man".

"We want to make sure we capitalise on learning they have in terms of building a high quality building", which can adapt to future changes in education training and delivery, he said.

The minister said once the exercise was completed and early plans had been finalised they would be shared with Tynwald members and people in the south to learn "what their wishes are for a new facility".

He also confirmed of the £3.2m set aside from the Project Development Fund during February's budget, £1.6m had looked at a master plan including a sports block with indicative plans for a six-lane swimming pool with "a large amount of the residual money to be allocated for the school".