18 June 2004
Further Consultation on Schools Options

Further consultation is to be undertaken with communities whose schools, included in the Council's £38million education investment programme, are planned to be built on new sites or where original consultation proposals have changed.

The Council took into account a number of comments and suggestions made during the original consultation period, in particular where there were strong views about the location of new schools, with a number of suggestions being put forward.

Cabinet will consider a report next Tuesday (22 June 2004) which proposes that the Council should seek outline planning permissions for the various new sites being considered. This is necessary to allow the Council to provide the new schools at the earliest possible opportunity and does not prejudice the final choice of site for any of the schools. This will be decided following technical feasibility studies and consultation with parents, school boards and other interested parties.

The schools which will be involved in this next round of consultation are: - Pathhead - parents requested to change the site of the proposed new school and a number of alternative sites are being investigated - Cousland - pupils to move to new Pathhead school when completed, rather than an interim move to Woodburn Primary. - Temple and Borthwick Primary schools to be merged and located at a new site in North Middleton. Two possible sites are now being considered. - Loanhead and St Margaret's - there was concern from parents from both schools about the size of the suggested site. A site at Ramsay south has recently emerged and is now being considered. - Bryan's and Langlaw - it was agreed to site the new merged school on a neutral site, centrally located between the two existing schools - Eastfield and Ladywood Primary Schools and Strathesk Nursery - it was agreed to site the new merged school between the two existing schools.

Councillor Adam Montgomery, Leader of the Council said: "A number of new sites were put forward during the consultation period and are currently being investigated. We are intending to apply for outline planning permission for alternative sites in some cases to ensure that once all the site investigations and the statutory consultations are complete, we will be able to proceed with the preferred site."

"We will be starting consultation with parents, school boards and other interested parties in the next week and it will continue until mid-September. Consultation papers will be sent to all parents of children attending an affected school. The papers will describe the new proposals and give them the opportunity to write or email the Council with their comments."

Councillor Montgomery continued: "This second stage of consultation is necessary because we listened and took account of the views of parents and school communities following the initial proposals. We will continue to listen and welcome further views and comments on the sites of these schools."

ENDS

Notes for Editors The £38million is the capital cost of the PPP funded schools. Further schools will be refurbished using traditional finance.

Contact: Communications Manager, Telephone: 0131 271 3425