Clean up derelict school grounds, councillor pleads
Former school grounds left to rot must be cleaned up, a councillor has demanded.
John Hood has blasted the mess left after two campuses were shut a decade ago.
He has called for action to transform the grounds at the old St David’s and Cochrane Castle primaries.
Councillor Hood said: “For too long now the people of Howwood Road have had to put up with this eyesore and it is long overdue that the council do something about it.
“These schools were demolished a number of years ago and a brand-new building was built to replace the schools, as well as host a nursery and adult education centre.
“It was hoped the empty sites would be used for housing, but that has never happened.
“I will work with the local community and officers of the council to bring about much-needed improvements to this area.”
The schools merged 10 years ago and were rehoused at the West Johnstone Shared Campus on Beith Road, Johnstone.
Councillor Hood says the sites have become a magnet for fly- tipping and anti-social behaviour.
He has written to Renfrewshire Council’s chief executive urging an “immediate clean-up” and an action plan to transform the area.
The schools were built in 1950 on Craigview Avenue, but closed 10 years ago and were moved to a plot outside Thomas Shanks Park.
The move signalled the start of a slew of school upgrades during a modernisation which saw new buildings and a number of shared campuses created across the region.
A spokesman for Renfrewshire Council said: “The site of the former St David’s Primary and Cochrane Castle Primary has been identified in the Renfrewshire Local Development Plan as a potential housing site as part of the Johnstone South West Community Growth Area.
“The downturn in the housing market has led to a delay in the redevelopment of the site but we will continue to strive to generate interest in the area.
“The successful delivery of housing projects at nearby Fordbank and Spateston are encouraging signs of a more positive development market, which we hope will give confidence to developers to invest in the site.
“The development of sites such as this by private developers will support our investment into affordable housing in the Johnstone area, providing the range and mix of accommodation required to meet the needs of existing and future residents.”