Red-faced council chiefs have apologised over a blunder which has left a Renfrewshire primary school facing capacity worries less than a year after its doors opened.
New analysis has suggested space could be needed for as many as 1,100 pupils in the catchment in the future – a figure that is more than double Dargavel Primary's current roll of 463 children.
The facility in Arrochar Drive, Bishopton, has an intended capacity of 548 but it has now been estimated the register could soar to around 600 to 620 by August 2023 and even further to between 685 and 705 the year after that.
Previous sums predicted the roll would not exceed 430.
The oversight has been branded a “monumental cock-up” by one politician and an “appalling miscalculation” by another.
Steven Quinn, director of children’s services, told parents and carers: “I am very sorry to advise you an error was made when determining pupil numbers for the new primary school in 2017.
“The calculation used at the time identified the new school roll would not be more than 430 pupils.
“However, it became clear after a higher-than-expected number of admissions over this school year, the original projection would be significantly short of what will be required over future years.
“I wish to apologise to our Dargavel families for this mistake. For those who previously raised concerns about the school’s capacity, we are very sorry the reassurances previously provided were incorrect.”
A council report said a review based on the existing roll, known pre-school population within the catchment area and potential pace of housebuilding in Dargavel Village, which is expected to have 4,000 homes by 2034, found existing school capacity would be “materially insufficient” to meet future demand.
The nine-page document added that the original methodology used to project the roll was “inadequate” and “significantly understated” the scale of capacity needed to support primary education within the Dargavel catchment.
A special meeting of the education and children’s services policy board has been called for Monday morning where councillors will be asked agree an “interim solution” of six modular classrooms being introduced at a cost of around £2 million in time for August 2023.
A full review will also be carried out to determine the underlying reasons for the errors in the initial calculations.
Councillor Gillian Graham, Labour group education spokesperson, branded the situation “astonishing”.
She added: “This is a monumental botch-up and there are so many concerns which result from this.
“This is an appalling miscalculation in terms of Dargavel Primary’s pupil capacity and as a result an additional £2m of the council’s resources will need to be used to mitigate against the miscalculation.”
Councillor David McGonigle, Conservative group education spokesperson, said: “This is nothing short of a monumental cock-up by Renfrewshire Council.
“Officials were repeatedly warned by those on the ground in Bishopton that their sums were wrong, but they pressed ahead anyway.
“It beggars belief as to how far off target the council have ended up being when it comes to capacity estimates.
“At a time of huge pressures on council finances, they are now going to have to shell out millions to provide temporary classrooms for a school that is not even a year old.
“The apology from Renfrewshire Council simply does not go far enough. They cannot hide from their extraordinary errors and must now work tirelessly to engage with all those affected.”
When the local authority was contacted by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Mr Quinn reiterated his apologies to those affected by the saga.
He added: “A full review will be carried out into the circumstances, and we will publish its findings. Our immediate focus is to fix this mistake and get it right for pupils – present and future.
“The school is currently operating within capacity.
“However, we now know we will need to provide additional space for pupils starting from August 2023 and that is why we are taking steps now to deliver six new classrooms before the start of the new school year.
“This will create room for everyone until a longer-term solution is developed. We are examining the options to manage future capacity with the intention to finalise those plans next spring.”
Dargavel Primary School opened in January of this year after delays to construction because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
It was provided to cater for the development as part of a planning obligation arrangement made with BAE Systems.
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