Expanded Chryston PS will be built on the old site

Designs are to be drawn up for a enlarged new Chryston Primary building – which will also incorporate early years provision plus an annex for the area’s adjacent secondary school.

The proposal is to build a new primary school on the existing Lindsaybeg Road site to replace the current 50-year-old building.

Chryston Primary is currently over capacity and has had to have more space created with the use of modular buildings to accommodate its roll of 276 pupils, more than a fifth above its planned capacity of 217.

Pupils would be decanted to“a suitable site within the school campus” during any future building project.

The new building would also include early years provision to“take account of the increased statutory entitlement of 1140 hours from 2020”; and will incorporate additional space for the secondary school, opened five years ago and which is currently at 90 per cent capacity with a roll of 825.

Members of North Lanarkshire’s education committee were told of the“significant increase of new-build housing in Chryston and surrounding the Gartcosh/Glenboig community growth area”.

A report read: “Chryston Primary is currently operating significantly above capacity, only possible with the use of additional modular units; further increases in capacity are likely due to the increase in housing.

“To ensure that Chryston High retains the required capacity to meet the needs of the community, it is proposed to incorporate an annex into the proposed new building on the campus, providing additional secondary capacity to meet demand in future years.

“Carrying out all of the necessary work at the same time minimises disruption and reduces the impact it will have on the wider school community.”

Education committee members gave the green light for moving to the feasibility stage of the project at their meeting this week; it will now be taken forward by their colleagues on the infrastructure committee.

Its convener, Frank McNally said:“We’ve recently seen a significant increase in housing investment in some areas and are responding with proposals to meet the needs of communities while providing pupils with access to improved facilities.

“Giving children access to modern, high-quality educational facilities is a priority for the council, and our investment under the Schools and Centres 21 programme underlines our commitment to doing this.”