Plans to change the boundaries between the catchment area of Saltcoats and Stevenston primary schools as part of a major housing development are being considered by North Ayrshire Council chiefs.
An approved planning application for up to 370 new homes at the boundary between Saltcoats and Stevenston has resulted in the need to consider an existing school catchment boundary, over which this new development will be built.
And, after early engagement with the local school communities, North Ayrshrie Council's Cabinet agreed that the preferred option to rezone all of the new housing development to Mayfield Primary School (non-Denominational) and St Anthony’s Primary School (Denominational) is taken to statutory public consultation from Monday, January 9.
Following the conclusion of this consultation, a report will be prepared for consideration by Cabinet by May/June 2023.
In Autumn 2019, North Ayrshire Council’s Planning Committee approved an application from Persimmon Homes to build 275 units at Mayfield Farm (now known as ‘Mayfields’), over three phases.
An additional 95 units are planned to follow in phase four, completing the site by 2033/34 (subject to a further planning application being submitted in the longer term).
Work has now commenced on site with the first 18 units (including a number of flats) planned to be completed and sold by March 2023.
Education and planning services noted that the catchment boundary line for Saltcoats/Stevenston schools ran through the proposed site, which, if left unchanged, would lead to a situation whereby homes in the development would fall within the catchment areas of either Saltcoats schools or Stevenston schools, which are considerably further away.
Further work was then undertaken to assess the impact of the new development on existing school catchments and to examine any feasible options for change.
The site entrance sits well within the Saltcoats town boundary.
The recommended option is to rezone all the new homes to Mayfield Primary School, for non-denominational education, and St Anthony’s Primary School for denominational education.
This option makes geographical sense and current pupil roll projections indicate that the schools can accommodate the anticipated change to pupil numbers.
The total number of catchment homes for Mayfield Primary School, which would absorb the majority of the additional pupil numbers, would rise in line with comparable single stream non-denominational primary school catchment sizes, such as Ardeer and Blacklands primary schools.
This recommended option requires a Statutory Public Consultation under the Schools Consultation Act 2010 and would affect the following primary schools, as the catchment boundary for each school would change: Mayfield Primary School, Saltcoats; Glencairn Primary School, Stevenston; St Anthony’s Primary School, Saltcoats and St John’s Primary School, Stevenston. Download the Ayrshire Live App today Don't miss the latest Ayrshire news - sign up to our free daily newsletter here
At its peak, the Mayfields housing development could contribute up to 12 children per year group to Mayfield Primary School, if all houses are zoned to its catchment. The average current catchment cohort per year group is 17 from the existing 761 homes.
Due to these maximum expected numbers and the number of placing requests into the school, it is recommended that the P1 intake for Mayfield Primary School is capped at 33 from August 2023.
School roll projections indicate that Mayfield PS could cope with the predicted level of additional pupils which the new development may generate, and for this reason, it is recommended that Mayfield PS should be the nondenominational catchment school for the Mayfields development.
The other part of the proposal is to assign the new homes to St Anthony’s Primary School catchment, which would mean a maximum of 30 new pupils.
Other schools directly affected by this proposal are Glencairn and St John’s primary schools in Stevenston, with the potential reduction of new pupils through the proposed rezone. However, any parent/carer who wishes their children to attend either of these schools can submit a placing request.
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