One school not enough
Claim that more facilities are required for area
Plans have been submitted for a new primar y school in Newton but community groups warn the area still needs more facilities.
South Lanarkshire Council have pledged to build a new school serving the community growth area at Newton Farm where thousands of houses are being built.
But the project has already been put back a year, with an opening date of August 2017 now expected.
The plans, which were lodged at the start of this month, show the facility will be built north of Harvester Road. A full size 3G sports pitch is included within the proposal, as is a smaller MUGA pitch and associated car parking spaces.
Construction of the school will cost £7.5million, with the council contributing £3.2m and the rest coming from housing developer, Taylor Wimpey.
It will eventually support 14 classrooms as well as 30 nursery places.
Taylor Wimpey also say they will contribute £1.9m to a community wing.
However, Halfway Community Council acting chairperson John Edgar said this week that one primary school wasn’t enough: “The community council have always said they should build a secondary school and a primary school.
“It would be ideal to build them both together on the same site, but we’ve been told we won’t be getting that. Lindsay Freeland (SLC chief executive) has told us they will build on existing schools to increase capacity if it is needed.
“The people of Newton were promised a standalone community facility, and we don’t know now if that will all go ahead.”
Lynn Sherry, head of education, South Lanarkshire Council said: “Following negotiations with developers, the council is pleased to confirm the target construction date for the new nondenominational primary school for the Newton Community Growth Area ( CGA) development is early 2016 with a targeted completion date of August 2017.
“The new school will provide 14 mainstream classes, four classes for pupils with additional support needs ( ASN), general purpose (GP) room, ICT suite and school library, a nursery providing space for 50 three to five year olds and 15 two- year olds ( morning and afternoon provision) plus a commu n i t y facility including a full-sized 3G pitch.
“This primary school will be part of the Uddingston Learning Community and Uddingston Grammar School will be the catchment secondary school.
“Current pupil roll projections indicate that in the medium term, there is sufficient capacity within Uddingston Grammar for the expected pupil numbers which are dependent on the speed of the development and house completions.
“A s p a r t of the negotiations with the developer, a contribution has been included towards any necessary adaptation of Uddingston Grammar to meet the increased pupil roll in the longer term as a result of the Newton Community Growth Area.”