HOUSING developers will be forced to pay thousands of pounds extra to help tackle the growing crisis of overcrowding in schools.
Highland Council has revealed that when granting planning permission to builders it will now ask for a much higher contribution to help pay for school places and refurbishment.
The news comes after a new Inverness councillor launched an investigation into contributions from developers across Scotland to see how much other local authorities charge.
Conservative Andrew Jarvie used freedom of information legislation to show Highland Council asks for 10 times less than some other local authorities.
The region has struggled to cope with the thousands of houses built in recent years as schools continue to reach and surpass capacity and the problem is particularly acute in Inverness.
Inverness is the fastest growing city in the UK but it has left the area’s schools increasingly over-stretched.
One in five Highland schools is forecast to be over capacity by 2030, according to figures released last year, with many more in a state of disrepair.
The same report showed all five secondary schools in Inverness will be overcrowded by the same time, along with 14 primary schools.
Previously the council has said the maximum it can ask for is £2,013 per house, which is based on planning policy and cannot be changed.
Now officers have admitted more has to be taken to help pay for new schools, repairs and extensions required in the next 10 years.
The total cost is expected to be £196 million.
A fresh report will be given to councillors on August 16, advising an immediate increase in developer contributions, although it is not yet known how much it will rise by.
The figures obtained by Cllr Jarvie show that Aberdeenshire Council takes £21,373 per house, while Highland Council ask for as little as £52 per property.
He said “The information I received shows many different schemes of developer contributions are used by councils to resolve school overcrowding but what is clear is just how far behind Highland is.”
“Here we ask for as little as £52 per dwelling and only seek to build temporary huts, whereas many others such as Aberdeenshire recover the full per pupil costs of building a whole new school.
“Contrary to what I’ve previously been told, it seems councils have a great degree of independence and flexibility when it comes to setting developer contributions.
“With some of the lowest contributions in Scotland and our current schools crisis, this is money we desperately need.”
A Highland Council spokeswoman said there would be a wider review of developer contributions later this year, adding comparisons with Aberdeenshire were not “typical” and that the costs of building houses in rural areas were higher than in more urban authorities.
This news comes after a cross-party working group was set up last month to combat the overcrowding problem in Inverness schools.
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