New £5m school is approved
Plans for a new £5million ASN school for the Stirling area have been approved.
Earlier this year Stirling councillors set the ball rolling on creating a new £5million secondary school for young people with additional support needs.
The facility - earmarked for a site next to Bannockburn High School - is part of a wider £10million investment, which will also see two new ASN facilities created within Stirling’s rural areas.
While concept design is ongoing for the rural facilities, a target of summer 2023 was set for completion of the Bannockburn provision, through a modular build.
Now a planning application for the Bannockburn facility has been approved by Stirling Council planners.
The facilities are being built due to insufficient capacity in the current education estate to support the growing number of secondary aged pupils with ASN who require access to specialist provision.
A review found that additional capacity would be needed in the city centre for 48 pupils over the short to medium term.
Only one representation was lodged for the application raising a number of points, however did not officially object to the proposals.
Among issues raised in the submission were concerns over anti-social behaviour and litter, increased traffic on Bannockburn Road and exacerbation of parking issues.
However, the planners said: “Anti-social behaviour is not a planning consideration as relates to actual individual behaviour. The respondent has been directed to the relevant department in Stirling Council dealing with Safety and Anti-social Behaviour. The deep planting at the southern boundary with the residential properties (on Park Crescent) increases the separation and so may reduce the likelihood of some effects, such as litter.
“In terms of parking, the existing school car park (at the east of the site) will be modified to accommodate localised drop-off points. There will be eight accessible parking spaces with two having electric vehicle (EV) charging facilities (another two EV charging bays will also be available). There will be a number of additional parking spaces on the west of the site and covered cycle storage for up to 34 bikes.
“The building will have landscaping specific for ASN requirements. There will be a hard landscaped zone between existing high school and proposed ASN facility for pedestrians only.
“As a result of the proposed development the land would remain in use for educational purposes.
“However, the specific use of that land would change from its current form as a school lawn (with no specific use except in summer when it is used for informal athletics) to that which houses an educational building. The school notes that the athletics can be relocated to the rugby field to the west of the site with no impact on the curriculum. Furthermore, the long-jump sandpit is rarely used (which would seem the case given its poorly maintained condition as observed on the site visit).
“The building of the ASN facility will involve some loss of green space on the site. However, the development should not result in a net loss of green infrastructure given its current and proposed institutional function. Furthermore, the proposal will not fragment the green network nor result in a deficit of green infrastructure
“The five trees that are to be removed will be compensated through orchard tree, woodland planting along the southern boundary of the site, hedges proposed to the east and west sides of the ASN building and a number of raised planters.
“The ASN is expected to cater for a maximum of 48 students with half anticipated to arrive by minibus (typically with capacity for nine to 16 people) and the others by taxi or private vehicle. The proposed facilities to cater for pupil transport to and from the facility are considered appropriate and the Roads Department have not raised any concerns regarding impact on road infrastructure in the locality.”