Friday September 18th 2026
Parents meeting in Eyemouth last night
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Paul Kelly
Proud parents gathered in Eyemouth last night (September 17) to celebrate victory in an 11-year battle for a new town primary school.
Earlier in the day Scottish Borders Council had finally backed plans for a new stand-alone school in Coldingham Road.
Members also agreed to drop a previous option of moving pupils into the town’s High School after it generated overwhelming opposition from the community.
It was a long and hard-fought victory for people power but those gathered at the packed meeting were not resting on their laurels.
The message was clear: the community must now be fully involved in every stage of the project.
A planning application for a new school is now to be set before SBC’s planning committee in November this year with work earmarked to start on site as early as April next year.
And if all goes to plan Eyemouth will have a new primary school by August 2028.
East Berwickshire Independent councillor James Anderson, who has been involved in the campaign for a new school from the outset, said: “This cannot be something done to Eyemouth it must be delivered with Eyemouth”.
He added: “We now begin a new journey with Scottish Borders Council to design and deliver a successful, future-proof primary school that meets the needs of our growing community.
“This victory belongs to everyone who stood together, refused to accept second best and kept going when we were told it could not be done.
“Eyemouth has finally been heard and together, we won.
“This is a resounding victory for Eyemouth and the whole of East Berwickshire.
“We have not only secured the commitment to deliver a new primary school, we have also protected Eyemouth High School.
“The High School has been a tremendous success, and this decision safeguards its learning environment for every secondary pupil across East Berwickshire. We could not allow the High School to be a mosh pit and be destroyed by ridiculous ideas.
“It means our children will not be forced into an overcrowded and unsuitable shared building.
“Primary pupils will have a school designed specifically around their educational and developmental needs, while secondary pupils will retain the space and facilities they need to thrive.
“It has been an honour to lead and stand alongside my community throughout this campaign.”
Mr Anderson thanked every person who had played a part in the 11-year fight, every parent who protested, every grandparent who attended on behalf of family members who were working, and every resident who signed petitions, completed surveys, attended meetings or “simply refused to be ignored”.
He added: “I also want to thank Councillor Carol Hamilton for arranging the special council meeting that finally brought this matter to a conclusion.
“It would undoubtedly have been better if this decision had been reached 11 years ago, but the community is ready to accept the victory and move forward positively.
“My thanks also go to the MP and MSPs from south of Scotland who supported the community and helped strengthen our case.”
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