Dargavel school consultation update
Dear resident
As you know, the consultation on the proposed new primary school in the Dargavel area has been running in recent weeks.
The consultation covers two issues – whether to build a new primary school on the proposed site, and a review of the catchment areas for the new and existing Dargavel primaries.
We’d like to thank everyone who took the time to come along to the information sessions and public meetings we’ve held over the past few weeks and give us your views – all your input has been gathered and will be reported and responded to in the final consultation report.
The consultation will run until Tuesday 26 March and the online survey into the consultation will be live until then. Our thanks go to everyone who has already filled this out.
The views of the local community will shape whatever happens next. We want to capture as much input as possible so would ask anyone who hasn’t filled out the survey yet to please do so.
You can read more information on the background to the proposal here:
And you can give us your views through the online survey here:
Feedback from last public meeting
At the last public meeting, on Tuesday 5 March, we said we would come back with more detail on some of the specific issues raised, which we have done below.
A number of questions and concerns were raised about transport and travel and we appreciate this is an area that will need carefully considered.
Currently 69% of pupils at Dargavel Primary arrive at school via active travel methods (such as walking or cycling), which is higher than average for Renfrewshire schools and we expect similar for the new school.
The proposed site was chosen to create a central location which would maximise the numbers who could walk to and from the new school, which was a key theme that emerged from the early engagement with the community on that issue.
We have commissioned consultants to look at how the road and pedestrian network in Dargavel is currently used and how that might be improved if the new school was built on the proposed site.
Their analysis says there will be enough capacity in existing junctions to accommodate traffic for two primary schools in those locations, but that there would be a pinch point at pick-up time. Their report lists a number of options which could mitigate that.
Bear in mind any changes to the proposed road layout for Dargavel would have to be agreed with the landowner (BAE Systems), which limits our scope to do so. However, options we could explore would include:
- Improving walking and cycling routes, including an active travel corridor along Arrochar Drive with wider pavements, and links to improved footpaths through the central park
- Using the vacant land next to the existing school for a temporary car park, to remove the need for on-street parking on Arrochar Drive
- Separate drop-offs for cars and buses to be built at the new school
- Dedicated bus collection and drop-off points for pupils travelling to Park Mains
More information on active travel considerations (including maps showing current and planned routes) is available on our website, on p13-15 of the Pre-consultation engagement document.
We understand the importance of any solution being designed in consultation with the people who live locally and who use those routes each day, and would involve the community in that process.
A number of questions were raised about the future impact on Park Mains High School. We will share more information on roll projections and on how a large high school would be run once the consultation on the primary school has finished.
Our Park Mains High School Liaison Group has membership from every related feeder primary parent council and will continue to help us engage with parents on our ongoing work to extend the school.
Next steps and keeping in touch
We thought it would be helpful to remind you of the process for what happens next. Once the consultation closes, all feedback will be gathered, analysed and compiled into a report for Education Scotland, which will also include our response to those issues.
They then have three weeks to consider our proposal, taking account of all your views, and make their recommendations to us. We will then publish a final consultation report, taking account of Education Scotland's recommendations. This report will be considered by councillors in May, and they will make the final decision on the way forward.
It is important to stress whatever happens next, the consultation will not be the end of our engagement around the new primary school. The building design and planning process will create many other opportunities to make sure community views are being captured and acted on.
This update – along with all the others we’ve issued since the consultation started – is being shared with parents at Dargavel Primary and ELCC, Bishopton Primary and the families living in Dargavel who registered children to start P1 in August.
It is also being shared with those of you who signed up for our opt-in community newsletter emails. We’d like to be able to keep in touch with as many people as possible so if you know anyone not covered above with an interest in school facilities in Dargavel, please let them know they can sign up to receive these emails via our website.
If you have any other queries around the consultation on the new school, we are happy to take them via Dargavel2consultation@renfrewshire.gov.uk
Kind regards
Gerry Lyons
Interim Head of Education, Renfrewshire Council
|
