Border Telegraph | News | Council's school plans 'flawed'

Tuesday, 6th January, 2009

Published: Wednesday, 1st October, 2008 09:00

Council's school plans 'flawed'

By David Knox

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A RESCUE report to ease Gala’s packed playgrounds has been published by Scottish Borders Council.

But the draft Local Plan Amendment has infuriated local classroom campaigners by including Netherbarns, next to Abbotsford House, to be considered for the building of a new school.

The Greenfield site, opposite the historic home of acclaimed author Sir Walter Scott, has already seen two inquiries reject bids for housing.

But literary lessons don’t appear to have been learned by education chiefs who have listed the ground next to the A7 amongst seven sites to be looked at for new schools.

Councillor Nicholas Watson is firmly opposed to any building on Netherbarns. He told the Border Telegraph: “The site has already been through two public enquiries and they have both come down firmly against any development.

“The school situation in Galashiels is quite tight but Netherbarns is not part of the solution.”

One idea believed to have been muted around the corridors of Newtown St Boswells is for the edge-of-town site to be used for a new Roman Catholic school for both Galashiels and Selkirk, with St Margaret’s and St Joseph’s being freed for other development.

And another is to house all of Galashiels’ primaries within the current Academy whilst finding a new site for the secondary school.

But these proposals are likely to meet fierce opposition.

Apart from the Catholic school in Galashiels, all primaries and the Academy are close to full capacity.

Projections show that Glendinning Terrace, the Burgh, St Peter’s and Balmoral will all be above 95 per-cent capacity within two years with Galashiels Academy and Langlee not far behind.

As well as Netherbarns, the council’s new school map includes the current Halls of Residence at Netherdale, greenfield sites at Mossilee and Easter Langlee, and redeveloping either Langlee or Balmoral primary schools sites as well Galashiels Academy.

Education office holder Catriona Bhatia will discuss the proposals with Galashiels Community Council tonight (Wednesday).

She told us: “The schools are all on constrained sites without proper sports facilities and becoming close to full capacity. The buildings aren’t in great condition either.

“These selected sites are considered viable options by the education department. We are talking several years away as the Government has not yet decided on funding, but we do need to make a start.

“We can be bold at the moment on where schools should go and as the consultation process continues we can whittle them down.”

Any new school built in Galashiels will have to wait in the funding line, which is currently headed by Peebles, West Linton and Clovenfords.

And work is unlikely to start in the town ahead of 2012 – when Scottish Borders Council has already earmarked £6million of capital cash towards new classrooms.

Local councilor and teacher Sandy Aitchison is opposed to building on Netherbarns, and has come up with his own alternative site.

He explained: “I will be pushing for the Bristol Mill site on the Edinburgh Road to be included.

“We should be against ploughing up greenfield sites and the Bristol Mill site, while it would be difficult for the architects, removes an eyesore at the same time as helping ease our crowded schools.

“I am certainly against Netherbarns being considered.”

Scottish Borders Council’s Local Plan Amendment Draft report will be analysed and finalized next spring following the 12-week consultation period, which runs until mid December.

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