AYR Academy will receive a £25 million funding package to build a new school and plans for the campus can finally be taken forward.

MSP for Ayr, John Scott, welcomed the confirmation that was announced recently which had been held up by various revisions to European accounting guidance on budgeting for public infrastructure projects.

Commenting the MSP said: "Confirmation has been received that the government’s contribution to these projects can indeed come from its long-term resource budget, and that means a green light for the £25m investment.

"This is great news and it means the plans for a new Ayr Academy can be taken forward."

But, Mr Scott is still pushing for a new Queen Margaret Academy. 

He added: “Since this accounting hurdle has now been overcome, I am also making contact with the Education Secretary to urge her to give the go-ahead as quickly as possible on funding for a new Queen Margaret Academy.

"Hopefully, with the accounting issues having been resolved, she will be able to offer an assurance that funding for Queen Margaret can also now be put in place as a matter of priority.”

A debate at Question Time in the Scottish Parliament, held in November, saw the MSP address John Swinney, Deputy First Minister of Scotland about the problems local high schools were facing for new school developments.

John Scott said: "The Deputy First Minister will be aware of the concerns of South Ayrshire Council and other local authorities about delays to school building programmes. 

"In my constituency, those delays are affecting Ayr Academy and Queen Margaret Academy. 

"When will those matters be resolved and how does he intend to resolve the problem with the ONS (Office for National Statistics) to allow concerned local authorities ... to proceed with their planned school building projects?"

Mr Swinney replied: "The Government has undertaken a significant amount of school rebuilding and refurbishing to date. 

"We are working our way through the conditions report on schools to ensure that we have a school estate that is appropriate for the 21st century. A great deal has been achieved already.

"I assure Mr Scott that the Government is working with all its energy to resolve the issues that the Office for National Statistics has raised."

The Ayr MSP hopes that plans for new Ayr Academy and Queen Margaret Academy can be developed soon.