Council / Security at former AHS site cost around £270k
SHETLAND Islands Council (SIC) paid out around £270,000 for security at the former Anderson High School site in Lerwick over the last four to five years.
A freedom of information request from Shetland News shows that more than £132,000 was spent on security at the site in 2022/23 alone.
This includes security staff who were tasked with patrolling the 6.18 hectare site.
It comes as planning permission has been granted for six CCTV cameras on the exterior of the site’s old Anderson Institute building following “numerous break-ins” at the former school.
Pupils moved to the new Anderson at the Clickimin in October 2017.
Some council staff worked from the premises before the site was prepared for demolition, which started in 2023 and finished earlier this year.
Landowner Shetland Islands Council intends to redevelop the site with mainly housing.
A security contract at the site began in 2019/20, with just over £8,000 spent that financial year.
In 2020/21 the security bill grew to £38,406, while in 2011/12 it was £30,175.
The expenditure reached £132,254 in 2022/23, while £61,052 was spent in 2023/24 – with the security contract ending on 9 November 2023.
From that point demolition staff became resident on site.
An SIC spokesperson said the council continues to maintain a “level of security” on this site while the various stages of the Knab redevelopment progress.
SIC chief executive Maggie Sandison explained the council has a “duty of care” when a property becomes vacant to make sure it is maintained and secure.
“Clearly when it’s an empty building there’s a greater risk that people will try and access it,” she said.
“So to fulfil the council’s duty of care we needed to maintain security on site.”
Sandison added that it was why it “mattered so much” to press ahead with demolition, and progress the redevelopment.
“The security levels will change – once people are living there or using it for different activities then that will make a big difference,” she said.
The SIC chief added the council was aware it was an area that people were accessing “unlawfully”.
“We had to maintain security because it could have been quite serious if somebody had gone in there and injured themselves on a vacant site,” Sandison said.
Meanwhile six CCTV cameras are set to be installed on the Anderson Institute, which is one of a few B-listed buildings remaining on site.
The planning application for the cameras said there had been “numerous issues with ongoing vandalism and break-ins” at the listed buildings left on site which have resulted in damage to the fabric, fixtures and fittings inside.
The cameras are designed to “deter future vandalism and break-ins to the Anderson Institute building”.
The building had been mooted as a future creative hub but the property is now deemed to be “less than ideal” for this purpose.
The SIC is planning to turn the Janet Courtney Hostel into flats, while the Bruce Hostel is expected to be sold off.
The only other remaining building is the science block, a newer property which has been handed over to the New Life Shetland church for a nominal fee as part of community asset transfer.
The rest of the site is set to host new housing.
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