The building of mass housing developments in Paisley should be halted until a review of the projected pupil numbers at local schools is completed, campaigners have said.
Plans for housing at Thornly Park and Dykebar could see almost 800 family homes built in South Paisley where demand for places at St Andrew’s Academy and Todholm Primary is already high.
Now campaigners say the Section 75 agreements – which set out how any developer will cover the cost of school extensions or modifications – must be completed after the projected school roll for the area is confirmed.
Renfrewshire Council confirmed earlier this week it was reviewing the projected numbers for all its 62 schools after its calculation for the new Dargavel Primary went so catastrophically wrong.
The local authority underestimated pupil numbers by 50 per cent at Dargavel and is now responsible for funding the multi-million solution.
Council bosses will however not commit to delaying education agreements with developers in Paisley until the review is completed.
Save Paisley’s Green Space, which is opposed to both developments, says the council must not be allowed to make the same mistakes again.
A spokeswoman for the organisation told the Paisley Daily Express: “The issues at Dargavel village highlight how important it is to properly assess the school rolls and listen to local communities.
“Developers’ contributions are being discussed under the appeal for Dykebar but should be halted until further assessments have been completed in order that the council doesn’t make the same mistakes at cost to them and the taxpayer.”
She added: “We have continually raised the issue of over capacity at St Andrew’s Academy as part of our objections to the proposed Dykebar and UWS Thornly Park campus developments.
“The combined 782 additional dwellings would exacerbate these capacity issues, not to mention Hawkhead Road, Fairway Avenue and the new development at Aldi on Neilston Road.”
St Andrew’s Academy is already oversubscribed at 116 per cent capacity and Todholm at 94 per cent.
Planning documents associated with the Thornly Park campus development suggests Miller Homes make a £500,000 contribution to education provision and the building consortium at Dykebar a further
£3 million.
But Councillor Gillian Graham, Labour’s spokesperson for education at Renfrewshire Council, said these sums must not be signed off until a full review of the school rolls is completed.
Proceeding without concrete numbers would potentially leave the council once again shortchanged and lumped with a bill of millions of pounds, she said.
“I have serious concerns about how either of these schools will cope with the increased roll resulting from nearly 800 new homes,” she told the Express.
“The public have lost faith in those involved in the Dargavel debacle and we need reassurance that St Andrew’s Academy and Todholm Primary can cope with the increase in pupils resulting from these new housing developments.
“Before the Section 75 agreements are signed off for Dykebar and Thornly Park, I would urge the council to look again at the pupil roll calculations for St Andrew’s Academy and Todholm Primary involving named external experts.
“[This is] to ensure that the public can have confidence that Dargavel can never happen again and that we have schools fit for purpose and developers covering the costs not Renfrewshire taxpayers.”
A spokesperson for Renfrewshire Council said: “We are working with an external consultancy to conduct a full analysis of projected school rolls at Dargavel and future capacity at Park Mains High School.
“We are also revising school roll projections across our school estate.
“The timeframe is to be determined. planning and children’s services are working together on Dargavel and other planning sites in Renfrewshire.”
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