6 February 2009

Dear Parent,

LORETTO SCHOOL

ESTATE DEVELOPMENT PLAN

Download as a pdf Loretto Estate Development Plan 2009

We write to advise you of a positive initiative by the Board of Governors concerning the Loretto School campus. An Estate Development Plan, being a preliminary masterplan for the 85 acres and 48 buildings comprising the School estate, is being published and is available for viewing as a link on the School website. Hard copies are available upon request.

The purpose of the Plan is to outline the strategy which Loretto intends to adopt in order to create a campus which serves the needs of the School for the foreseeable future. It describes and illustrates the current make-up of the School Estate and explains the range of options available to the School in terms of the future use of particular buildings, future development and consolidation by way of disposal of potentially surplus assets.

While hard and fast decisions are not imminent in respect of some of the options, the Governing Body has decided to commence the promotion of two exciting new developments for the School:

  • The first is at North Esk Lodge where it is proposed to build a new music and activities centre subject to the availability of requisite planning permission and funding. This would include a multi-purpose hall and new music rooms attached to the rear of the existing School buildings. In addition, alterations are proposed to reconfigure and extend the classroom facilities.
  • The second is at Newfield where it is proposed that a new sports hall with associated facilities be constructed, again subject to appropriate consents and funding. The ultimate objective is the provision of a broad range of sports facilities within a state of the art multi-purpose sports hall which will be complementary to the first class sports pitches adjacent.

The Loretto Campus is, we believe, the most attractive in Scotland. It is important to have in place a vision for its future use which matches the requirements of a modern and progressive Boarding School and the Estates Development Plan is intended to begin that process. It is a working tool which will evolve over time.

In addition to the options and proposals contained within the Plan, the School also has a number of improvement works planned for 2009, for example, alterations and an improved look to the Ash Court, an upgrade of the external appearance of Seton House and the first stage in bringing the main House in Pinkie back into School use. Pinkie House has several rooms, such as the 'painted gallery', which are of significant historical importance, and over time it is planned to make the House a more central feature of the School which can be enjoyed by the wider community when not in use by the School.

Finally, we should explain that it is fully recognised the Plan has been prepared and is being issued in the most challenging of circumstances for the national economy. We believe, however, that this is an appropriate time to commence planning such initiatives, the most significant of which will inevitably take time to process given the need for consultation with the community and relevant public sector bodies and ultimately the planning and funding initiatives themselves.

Yours sincerely

Chairman Headmaster

Loretto Estate Development Plan 2 is available as a pdf. Click on the following link Loretto Estate Development Plan 2009