Dargavel proposed new primary school consultation - results and recommendations
Dear community member
As you know, the consultation into the location and catchment for the proposed new primary school in Dargavel ran earlier this year and has since completed. I want to thank again everyone who took the time to give us their views or who came along to any of the public events or meetings.
The consultation had a great response – with more than 800 respondents. We've spent the past few weeks analysing what you told us, and considering how your feedback should best shape what happens next.
Renfrewshire councillors will meet next week to consider our report which will set out a series of recommendations around future primary school provision in the area. One of those will be to recommend building the new primary school on the proposed site (‘Site E1’, at the north end of Craigton Drive).
The papers for the meeting were published today. We’ve summarised the key information from this for you below.
Consultation results and key issues
The key results from the consultation were as follows:
- When asked whether a new primary school should be built in Dargavel, 87.1% strongly agreed or agreed there should, while 9.4% disagreed or strongly disagreed
- Views are almost evenly split on the proposed site. 323 people (39.6%) strongly agree or agree with the site, while 331 people (40.6%) disagree or strongly disagree. A further 161 (19.8%) said they neither agree or disagree
- On the catchment areas for the new and existing schools, 44% strongly agreed or agreed with the proposed catchments. 43.6% neither agreed or disagreed, and 12% disagreed or strongly disagreed
We asked a number of questions inviting people to give us the reasons for their answers. These have been analysed in detail to help us establish the key trends. These were:
- The urgent need for a new school within the catchment to meet rising demand for primary places. This was the most-mentioned topic
- Reference to high school provision or to a shared primary/secondary campus within the Dargavel area. This was mentioned by around 36% of respondents
- Concerns around traffic and safe travel to the proposed site. Around 35% of respondents cited this as an issue
- Other common topics included issues with the council’s planning and governance around Dargavel school provision, and the importance of ensuring community facilities are included in the new school
Respondents were invited to suggest their preferred alternative site for the primary school, and while there was a range of suggestions, no clear consensus emerged on this issue.
Key issues and responses
We have carefully considered each of the main issues identified from your feedback and a short summary of our thoughts in response is listed below.
Urgent need for new school – we remain confident the new primary school can be delivered on the proposed site by August 2027, and that doing so remains the best way to ensure there is capacity to meet the expected rise in primary-school rolls at that point
Traffic and transport - concerns over this were one of the key themes of the feedback we received during the consultation, both in the survey and at the public events.
We can assure you the strength of this feedback has come through very clearly. We know this is the number one issue we need to find solutions to. There are things we can do to help mitigate that.
Earlier this year, we commissioned an independent study of the likely impact of the new school on the transport system in the area. The traffic modelling done through this suggests there will be enough capacity in the wider road network and junctions due to be delivered by BAE Systems to handle the extra traffic expected by trips to and from two primary schools.
However we recognise the specific challenges affecting both schools around drop-off and pick-up, and the consultants have looked in more detail at how these can be resolved.
We understand some of these issues are current, with many respondents citing problems with parking on Arrochar Drive around the existing school. The consultants note these issues are being made worse on two fronts:
- the fact the existing school currently serves families living in the north of the development – outwith a 15-minute walking distance. These are car journeys that wouldn't eventually be required if the new school is built where proposed
- that Arrochar Drive is currently a dead-end, with the Western Link Road not due to be complete until late 2025.
But we know an immediate solution is needed. We are currently looking into how the spare land next to the current primary school could be used as a pick-up/drop-off area to help ease the flow of traffic on Arrochar Drive at these times, now and in the future.
Looking to the longer-term, the new school – if built on the proposed site – will deliver two distinct catchments, each with centrally-located schools. Plus, the catchment for the current school will become much smaller than it is now.
This will maximise the numbers of families within easy walking and cycling distance of their school, which will limit the need for car journeys. The modelling done by the consultants has confirmed this.
We acknowledge the point made by some that for this to work there needs to be enough safe walking routes. The road and active travel infrastructure in Dargavel is incomplete as it stands.
We understand that joined-up and improved active travel routes which minimise the distances between the new school and surrounding houses will be essential to the planning and design of the area around it. We are working closely with BAE Systems to make sure this happens.
We also take on board the feedback we heard from some during the consultation that says car journeys to and from school are unavoidable for some. With this in mind, we recognise traffic control, parking, and room for pick-up/drop-off are all crucial points that will need to be built in to the design of the new school.
High school provision – this was not within the scope of this consultation. However around a third of respondents cited this as an issue – either to express concern over the future size or capacity at Park Mains High, or to suggest Dargavel/Bishopton should have its own high school or shared primary/secondary campus.
As things stand, officers are continuing to develop the agreed plan to expand Park Mains High to meet the expected increase in the secondary roll in the area in the years ahead. We understand we need to engage the Dargavel community and indeed the wider high school community in an open and responsive way around how high school capacity will be managed in the coming years.
We are currently developing a learning estate strategy for all of Renfrewshire which will take account of long-term demand as well as how to renew and maintain our school buildings across the area, and the views and priorities of all communities – including Dargavel, Bishopton and the wider Park Mains High School catchment – will be considered as part of this.
Community facilities - another theme from the consultation was around a lack of community facilities in the Dargavel area and how the new school might change that.
This is consistent with the results of the survey we did last year into the space planning for a new school, where 98% of respondents supported the idea the community should be able to use the new school for activities such as sports, fitness, social and learning.
We can confirm this will be key to the design of the new school, which will include a full-size floodlit synthetic sports pitch and changing facilities. As we move forward with the design we will continue to engage with the local community on what else you want from the building and how that might be accommodated.
Council engagement - we recognise many people remain understandably angry at the historic errors, and there remains a lack of trust in the council from some. We know there’s a lot we still need to do to rebuild that trust.
The consultation has provided us with a more informed understanding of the strength and range of – often contradictory – views within the community. We received a lot of informed and considered responses. Ultimately the choice of site for the new primary school has divided opinion, with no clear majority either way.
The feedback was considered carefully and the recommendation going before councillors reflects what officers believe is the best way forward, but which takes account of and seeks to mitigate, the valid concerns and issues many of you have raised.
If the new school is to be progressed on the proposed site, we appreciate how important it is we continue to engage the community on the key issues such as traffic and transport, school design, wider community needs, and more.
Recommendations for councillors
Councillors on the Education and Children’s Services Policy Board will meet next Thursday (23 May) to discuss a series of recommendations, These include:
- Work to procure, design and build a new 800-pupil primary school for August 2027 on the proposed site (Site E1, at the north end of Craigton Drive) should continue
- The revised catchment areas proposed should take effect for the opening of the new school
- Officers will work with the Dargavel community on a comprehensive plan to ensure ongoing community engagement during the design and planning of the new school
- An integrated traffic and active travel plan will be produced as part of the new school design, to help address community concerns over traffic
- Work will continue to scope out a new drop-off and pick-up area on spare land next to the current Dargavel Primary School, to help tackle existing traffic issues on Arrochar Drive
- We will continue to engage with the community in an open and responsive way around future secondary school provision
More information
This email is only a summary of the key points contained in the papers for the council meeting and we would encourage anyone who wants more information to read them for themselves. Within the main board report you will find:
- The full covering report for councillors and final statutory consultation report
- Minutes of the various meetings that took place during the consultation
- The analysis of the text responses to the survey compiled by an independent consultant
- The report compiled by Education Scotland
If you have any other questions in the meantime, we'll be happy to answer them via our dedicated email address at dargavelcs@renfrewshire.gov.uk
Yours sincerely
Gerry Lyons
Interim Head of Education
Renfrewshire Council
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