Voice of the people heard as council revise school plans

May 19 2011 by Chris Clements, Hamilton Advertiser

THERE has been a u-turn on controversial plans to build a unit for troubled teens next to a Blantyre primary school.

South Lanarkshire Council have revised original plans after a strong negative response during consultations with residents last year.

Council plans to build a unit for secondary-age children with social, emotional and behavioural needs (SEBN) on land adjacent to St Blane’s Primary.

The proposals were met with anger and opposition from parents at the school as well as residents in nearby Fernslea Avenue.

However, planners have scrapped their original vision after listening to feedback from neighbours. They have opted for a less contentious site.

The council is now expected to recommend that the proposed unit be built at the former Calder House site in the town’s Bardykes Road.

After an initial consultation with residents last year, councillors allowed time for further feedback on an alternative site for the project in March.

New comments from consultees suggested support for the move to Bardykes Road.

Larry Forde, director of education, said: “Our recommendation to locate the new school on the former Calder House site on Bardykes Road, Blantyre, was made following extensive consultation with the community.

“Full details of the consultation process was published on the council's website yesterday (Wednesday).

Members of the Executive Committee will consider the recommendations at their meeting on June 8.

“A letter will be sent to everyone who took part in the consultation thanking them for their input and detailing the next step in the decision-making process.”

The proposals are centred on the restructuring of secondary SEBN service in South Lanarkshire.

It involves discontinuing Kittoch School in East Kilbride and Ridgepark in Lanark, and replacing these with a single central secondary education provision.

The original site proposed was adjacent to St Blane’s Primary.

Last year, the Advertiser reported on the anger expressed by parents at the school.

Many parents and neighbours expressed concerns about the suitability of the project – on land once occupied by the old St Blane’s school building – due to nearby homes and the potential negative impact on primary pupils.

Parents also expressed frustration at not being considered “statutory consultees” during the planning process.

If the new Bardykes Road proposals are agreed by the planning committee next month, the council will notify Scottish Ministers of the final decision on the proposals if the decision is to close schools.

A copy of the plans, as well as consultation reports, will be given to Ministers.

They have a six-week period to decide if they will call in the proposals.

If they do that, they may refuse consent, agree unconditionally, or agree to proposals to subject to conditions.

Following the end of the extended consultation period and the report from Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Education (HMIe), South Lanarkshire Council have prepared and published a report on their website www.southlanarkshire.gov.uk