Plans approved for new Stonehouse Primary

Jun 23 2011 by Sandra Walls, Hamilton Advertiser

A DETAILED planning application was this week approved for a new two-storey primary school.

The new £7.5m school will replace the current Stonehouse Primary in Townhead Street as part of South Lanarkshire Council’s £812m Primary Schools Modernisation Programme.

The plan, which incorporates a nursery, will provide 11 classrooms, combined assembly hall and gym, a multi-use games area, library and GP area.

There will also be a kitchen and dining room, offices and stores, quiet rooms and cloak rooms, and toilet facilities.

A new one-way car park with a drop-off area, staff parking area and service lay-bys will be provided, and the school will be monitored via CCTV cameras.

Existing vehicle access from Townhead Street will be retained and strengthened, with the building of a new stone wall leading into the car park.

Pedestrians will continue to use the Townhead Street and Sidehead Road gates, leading to playground areas.

The gates will be modified to a double-width gate, with a dropped kerb suitable for access by emergency vehicles.

A new visitor access gate, leading directly to the main reception area, will be created.

Grounds will be landscaped and cycle racks will be provided in a bid to encourage more children to travel to school by bike.

Approval for the application by Lend Lease was granted during a meeting of the council’s Planning Committee on Tuesday.

Stonehouse Primary School’s 238 pupils will be temporarily decanted to the former Newfield Primary School until the new accommodation is complete.

Councillor Graham Scott, who chairs the planning committee, warmly welcomed the proposal which forms part of phase two of the Primary Schools Modernisation Programme.

He said: “This plan shows that the delivery of new and modern primary schools is one the council's key objectives going forward.

“In spite of all of the financial pressures we have faced, and indeed continue to face in the years ahead, we have fought hard to keep the new schools programme on track.

“We have already reached a landmark in this programme with half of all primary pupils in South Lanarkshire being taught in state-of-the-art accommodation.

“The SLC planning committee welcome the prospect of hundreds more children learning and playing in schools that are modern, vibrant and fit for purpose in every way.”