Border Telegraph | News | A new school at last

Wednesday, 7th January, 2009

Published: Wednesday, 4th July, 2007 12:53

A new school at last

By Border Telegraph Newsroom

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A 30-YEAR wait for a new school to replace the crammed Caddonfoot building could be over in just 12 months.

Councillors this week were in total agreement that the new, ultra-modern school should take its place in the queue.

And members of Scottish Borders Council’s Education Committee will next month discuss a report on a timescale for the school – and those at Lauder, West Linton, Denholm (ravaged by fire) and Peebles.

The first stage was to get planning approval, and on Monday councillors on the Development Control and Building Control Committee gave the school, to be built west of Meigle Farm, pass marks.

That discussion took a lot less time than the controversial issue of 70 houses to be built on land close to the school and a new link road off Caddonfoot Road.

However, the Council is still in talks over the possibility of a compulsory purchase order of land to take a new road into the school from the roundabout in the middle of the village.

That has met with opposition and it may be that any CPO could delay the school.

Chair of Clovenfords Community Council, Catriona Bird, who attended the meeting, clenched her hand in victory as the plans were passed.

“This is great news,” she said.

The approval for the housing by house builders Barratt was more of a controversial issue.

But the company’s decision to cut the number of homes from 84 to 70 helped to persuade the councillors to give the green light.

Although there was concern that affordable housing would no longer be included.

Lib-Dem Catriona Bhatia wanted assurances that the houses would not be occupied until the school was, at least, out to contract if not built.

Caddonfoot School, she said, could not take any more pupils.

“It would be foolhardy to allow this housing until at least the contracts were let.

“We could have a real problem (in building the school) if we had another fire like that at Denholm.”

Local councillor Gilbert Logan (Conservative) said that the development would attract young families.

“Clovenfords has a bright future.”

On the new school, he said: “There is a pressing need for it. The classrooms are outdated and inadequate and we desperately require this school.”

Councillor Jim Hume (Lib-Dem) said that he was ‘slightly disappointed’ that there would not be affordable housing.

The new link road to serve the school and housing, will cut across a right-of-way, the Velvet Path, met with opposition from neighbours, who feared more traffic and extra accident risks.

Councillor Bhatia called for a condition to be added to the plan that the houses should not be occupied until the school was built, but this was defeated on Councillor Logan’s motion that the plans should be given the go-ahead.

The plans have still to be approved by Scottish Ministers, but that is expected to be a formality.

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