Pitch protesters fail to alter new Chapelton Primary plans

Jul 10 2008 by John Rowbotham, Hamilton Advertiser

EFFORTS to alter plans for a new primary school at Chapelton have this week failed.

People living near the site were angry that South Lanarkshire Council included in the scheme proposals for an all-weather sports pitch almost 17 feet from their home

However, members of South Lanarkshire Council’s planning agreed the proposal on Tuesday.

The matter now goes to the Scottish Government for final approval.

There is no date for the start of work on the new three-classroom school to be built next to the old building, in Glasgow Road.

Pupils will, however, have lessons in their existing school while the new one is being built.

Councillors were told that the all-weather pitch would be available for use by the community.

It would be surrounded by a 17ft fence and shrubs would be planted to provide a buffer between the pitch and a neighbouring property, the Old School House.

Occupants of the Old School House, Lorraine and Ian Edgar, were one of the two objectors.

Among the objections were concern that the new sport pitch would create a noise nuisance.

The council were also accused of a “lack of sensitivity” towards residents living near the school.

Councillors were also told that the the privacy of neighbouring residents would be diminished because the pitch was so close to their homes.

However, enterprise director Iain Urquhart dismissed the complaints.

He said the Edgars lived in the original school house where the noise of children playing would always have been evident.

He added that because of land ownership issues, the council were restricted to siting the new school on a site they already own.

Mr Urquhart admitted that the scheme was contrary to the council’s development plan as it extended into land zoned as public open space.

“Although the council try to protect the reduction in public open space,” he added. “In this instance the area is small and would enable a tandem build of the new school.”

Mr Urquhart also promised that a play area, lost as a result of the new school, would be replaced on adjacent land at the corner of Wellbrae and Glasgow Road.