Opinions please on primary project

People can have their say on plans for a new primary school for Callander from next week.

The new school would be sited near Mclaren High School.

As a major development it now has to undergo a preapplication consultation period before any formal planning application is lodged.

This starts on Monday with one of two drop-in events, with the other taking place on May 30. Both run from 3.30-7.30pm at the Mclaren Suite in the high school.

There is also an online opportunity to see the proposals and make comments. This will open on Monday and run to June 2 at engage.stirling. gov.uk.

While any comments made at this stage may shape the proposals which are eventually lodged, any representations of comment, support or objection to Stirling Council as the planning authority will only be invited once a formal planning application is submitted.

In 2020 it was announced that the town was a step closer to having a new primary school after a funding commitment from the Scottish Government.

The then Scottish Education Secretary John Swinney revealed that Scottish Government funding, alongside local authority contributions to Phase 2 of the Learning Estate Investment Programme, would enable development.

The need for a new school to replace the current building had been discussed for a number of years, with a site next to Mclaren High School expected to be earmarked for any new build.

In 2018 the school building was given one of the lowest suitability ratings of any school building in the Stirling Council area.

At that time, under new assessment criteria, 25 per cent of schools were said to be in a good condition (A rating), and 68 per cent were deemed satisfactory (B) although said to still have“significant defects”, with 18 establishments classed as“low B”.

However, Callander was one of only a handful rated as C, with Allan’s Primary in Stirling the only one with a D-rating.

The suitability ratings were partly based on assessments carried out by headteachers.

In 2018 parent power at the school led to urgent repairs being carried out on the building and sparked discussions on having it replaced.

Refurbishment work was later carried out and security and toilet facilities at the school upgraded but the then council leader Scott Farmer said that a new educational facility in Callander was“under serious consideration”.