Education report uncertainty over nursery school independence

The latest report to Education Committee (report 539-2011) hints at the prospect of future integration of Park Place Nursery into the school building of Park Place Primary school. It states that the nursery's move to the new West End campus will reduce the number of nursery schools in the city (§ 4.2.8) and later (§ 4.3.2) proposes:

"There may be scope to integrate such schools into primary schools where it is practical to do so."

Does this imply that the nursery school might in future be relegated to a nursery class within the primary school?

Additionally, the report states that the Primary School Working Capacity of the new West End campus is 618, and with a combined pupil roll for Sep 2011 (the campus is not due to open until 2012) at 434, claims this is 70.2% of the Sufficiency on Working Capacity.

However, the previous Director of Education had assured parents that the maximum roll of the West End campus would be capped at 450, which would mean the Sufficiency on Working Capacity percentage should be quoted as 96.4%.

In other words, from the start, the new campus will be operating almost at full capacity.

If the current director of education now claims the Primary School Working Capacity of the campus is indeed 618, then he must find an additional 0.4 ha, that is 4000 sq. m., if the campus is to comply with the government's requirements stipulated in the School Premises (General Standards and Requirements) (Scotland) 1967 and as amended.

What are the director's plans for Park Place Nursery, and where will he find the additional space necessary for a campus with capacity for 618 pupils?

DCC Education Convener claims size issue was a myth

During a ceremony at the new west end school campus on 31/08/11 (11 mins into the broadcast), DCC education convener, Liz Fordyce, made this statement (transcribed from the video footage):

"It was built to house 1000 young adults, because that's what teenagers are, it was secondary pupils, and if it held a thousand secondary pupils, going from department to department, then it would be big enough to hold two primary schools that are not going to have anything like a thousand pupils between them, so it wasn't ever going to be too small to house two smaller primary schools, so it was a myth.

And the people who complained about it they had all sorts of different reasons for not wanting it, and they tried their best but now they realise that, yeah, this is a good idea, this is a good thing for the young people."

If the education convener had read the School Premises (General Standards and Requirements) (Scotland) 1967 and as amended, she would have noticed:

(2) Every secondary school shall have a site of not less than the area specified in Table II according to the number of pupils for which the school is designed except where the provisions of regulation 7(6) apply.

For a site with 751-1000 pupils, this equates to a site size of 2.4 hectares - the new school site is 1.27 hectares, almost half the minimum requirement. Note that each additional 100 (pupils) over 1000 would require an additional 0.1 hectares.

And that's not including provision for playing fields....

So either the former Harris Academy Annexe failed to comply with the government regulations - by a significant margin - or the regulations did not apply when the building was erected.

Or the city council of the time had also applied to government for dispensation from said regulations, just as the current city council did to get special permission for this proposal to proceed. The council's application and the decision from Scottish Ministers may be found here: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/91982/0091412.pdf and in it, the former director of education confirms:

1.5 The consent of the Scottish Ministers is required because the area of the site proposed for the joint campus does not meet the requirements in Regulation 7(1) in respect of two separate schools.

So which is it, and precisely which "people who complained about it" now 'realise' that it's a good idea?

Proforma objections available to download

Following the public exhibitions on 1st and 3rd April 2010, the council has invited comments and objections from members of the public, to be sent to Gillian Ross Pond. The deadline for these is:

Monday 26 April 2010

Comments can be posted, telephoned or emailed:

Gillian Ross Pond
Floor 8 City House
Overgate
Dundee
DD1 1UH
Telephone: 01382 435161 or
email: gillian.rosspond@dundeecity.gov.uk

We have prepared a list of suggestions that you may wish to send or select items where you share our objections.

Note that if you are sending a letter by post, this should be posted by Friday 23 April to ensure delivery by Monday. We understand that comments by email will also be accepted but to ensure that these are valid, we advise including your full name and address so that the council can check that your submission can be authenticated.

You can download a copy of our proforma (shown on the left hand side of this website) or you can select from the following list of objections:

With regard to the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 as amended by The Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) Regulations 2008, I wish to state my objections to the approval of any plans for the proposed development of a new West End of Dundee primary School in Blackness Road, on the following grounds:

1. I object to this proposal due to the noise impact on the area.
2. I object to this proposal due to the traffic congestion that it will create
3. I object to this proposal due to the risks to child safety that the traffic congestion will create
4. I object to this proposal due to the lack of adequate car drop-off areas
5. I object to this proposal due to it failing to comply with Regulation 8 Playing Fields of the School Premises (General Requirements and Standards) (Scotland) Regulations 1967 and as amended
6. I object to this proposal due to the lack of a synthetic pitch which meets sportscotland minimum requirements as per School Playing Fields Planning and Design Guidance document ISBN: 978 1 85060 497 6
7. I object to this proposal due to it failing to provide children with the opportunity to reach their potential in external sports
8. I object to this proposal due to the impact on specialist PE curriculum if children have to travel to/from Victoria Park
9. I object to this proposal due to the loss of playing field provision already present at St Joseph’s (and recognised by council documents and by sportscotland)
10. I object to this proposal due to concerns over how Victoria Park could be utilised for playing fields if there is no dedicated provision of park land
11. I object to this proposal due to concerns over the safety of children walking to/from Victoria Park
12. I object to this proposal due to the risks of having a gym and kitchen on the top floor
13. I object to this proposal due to the gym space of 324 sq.m. needing to be divided by a curtain and thus being a smaller space than for St Joseph’s school at present
14. I object to this proposal due to the inadequate internal gym facility, which fails to meet government targets of a minimum 2 hours specialist PE per child per week
15. I object to this proposal due to the increased noise impact in the classrooms of having a gym above the classrooms
16. I object to this proposal due to the classroom sizes being smaller on average than the existing classrooms at St Joseph’s
17. I object to this proposal due to the contamination on the site, especially since the lack of a basement facility confirms council concerns about using underground space
18. I object to this proposal due to the nearby "very large electricity sub-station" as quoted from a report from the director of planning and transportation in 2006 (06/00103/FUL)
19. I object to this proposal due to the loss of school buildings at St Joseph’s and Park Place constituting a loss of provision for schools in the West End when space should be preserved for future generations
20. I object to this proposal due to the rising cost estimates (was £10.3m now £11.5m and will rise further) in a time of financial crisis where the money would be better spent refurbishing existing schools and saving jobs
21. I object to this proposal due to the choice of site failing to provide an open aspect for the children
22. I object to this proposal due to the site use being contrary to the Council Local Plan showing the site (H21) marked for housing
23. I object to this proposal as it fails to achieve the maximum market price for Council Taxpayers in the sale of the St Joseph’s School site and surrounding land
24. I object to this proposal due it failing to meet the unconditional provisos laid down by the Catholic Church "The Diocese sets out the unconditional provisos and conditions ..., that the joint site enjoys the acknowledged agreement of the school communities concerned...", as quoted in section 4.3 of HMIE report dated November 2009
25. I object to this proposal due it having failed to meet the recommendations "The council should also seek to reassure parents about the levels of contamination of soil at the proposed site and the level of danger from the nearby electricity sub-station", as quoted in section 6.2 of HMIE report dated November 2009
26. I object to this proposal due it having failed to accommodate the clearly stated wishes of the St Joseph’s parents in the recent Parent Council Questionnaire
27. I object to this proposal because it discriminates against disabled children by discouraging participation by disabled children in activities in a public building due to the multi storey nature of the building

Public Exhibition 1st and 3rd April 2010 in Blackness Library

Dundee City Council have announced that there will be a public exhibition of plans for the proposed new West End schools in Blackness Community Library (225 Perth Road, Dundee DD2 1EJ) on:

Thursday 1st April 2010, 2pm - 7pm

Saturday 3rd April 2010, 10am - 1pm

Comments must be submitted to Gillian Ross Pond by Monday 26 April 2010 at the latest. Further information may also be obtained from Ms Ross Pond:

postal: Floor 8, City House, Overgate, Dundee DD1 1UH

phone: 01382 435161

email: gillian.rosspond@dundeecity.gov.uk

The Director of Education has written to all parents/carers of children attending Park Place Nursery, Park Place Primary, St Joseph's Primary and all staff at the three schools to:

"... strongly encourage you to take this opportunity to view the Council's plans. Council officers from the design team will be present to listen to your comments and answer any questions you might have."

"The planning timescale has been finalised, and it is hoped that the project will go to the Development Quality Committee for approval on 16 August 2010."

"... assuming the planning application is approved, work is scheduled to begin on site in January 2011 and be completed by March 2012. This would allow us to plan for pupil entry in mid April 2012."

Note that the latest set of plans shared with the Project Board are the same as the ones we obtained from Scottish Government under Freedom of Information and can be viewed on our website here.

More confusion over DCC plans for Victoria Park

This week's press has highlighted a number of worrying concerns raised by local councillors, as well as further confusing statements from the city council. To set the scene, the School Premises (General Standards and Requirements) (Scotland) Regulations 1967, and amended, state:

8(1) Every primary school shall have available and in close proximity to it playing fields not less than the area specified in Table IV according to the number of pupils for which the school is designed except where the provisions of regulation 8(4) apply.

Depending on the extent to which playing fields are shared between the two schools, Table IV indicates that the West End Schools proposal requires between 4000-6000 square metres (1-1.5 acres) dedicated for playing fields.

We have learned from Freedom of Information requests that the Director of Education wrote to Schools Division of Scottish Government in April and May 2009 as follows:

"With regard to the matter of playing fields, we are committed to providing facilities at this site for outdoor education."

"It will not have a playing field, although there will be one in close proximity."

Also, the Convener of Education stated on STV in May 2009:

"..there is no absolute need for them, for us to provide them with a playing field as part of the facilities of the school"

The Scottish Government decision notice, available from their website, grants dispensation to DCC for the size of site being less than that required by regulation 7, and states:

5.6 The provision of a hall, gymnasium and outdoor play area, along with the proposal for both schools to be able to use the nearby Victoria Park for outdoor activities and games, offer good potential for each school to ensure that all children receive the appropriate allocation of time for good quality physical education. As yet the council has not formally dedicated any space in the park for use by the schools, nor indicated what, if any, games pitches might be laid out for their sole or shared use. The draft plans for the proposed shared campus include the possibility of a small shared all-weather area which could be used for games and other outdoor activities. It is not clear at the moment whether or not this pitch will actually be built if the proposal goes ahead.

6.2 HMIE recommends that the council be asked to clarify its proposals for use of Victoria Park by giving a commitment to how it would dedicate part of the park for use of the two primary schools and a firmer indication of what pitches or sports areas might be laid out for their use at various times of the year.

Note the need for "appropriate allocation of time for good quality physical education" rather than occasional use of a public park, which any school at any time is fully entitled to do, in addition to its playing fields. Also, the city council is asked to give "a commitment to how it would dedicate part of the park" (emphasis added).

Now, read on and let us know if you can make sense of the council's plans ...

1. Plans for £10m shared campus get green light (The Courier, 11 Dec 2009)

The council said it will be "addressing" the Victoria Park issue - a draft proposal includes the possibility of a small, shared all-weather but no space has been dedicated in the park for schools use.

2. £10m schools plan to be discussed (Evening Telegraph, 11 Dec 2009)

The joint campus is expected to be three storeys high and include playing fields at Victoria Park for use by both schools.

3. Row over plans to use Victoria Park (The Courier, 12 Dec 2009)

... elected members, parents and teachers were not consulted about plans to use Victoria Park as playing fields for schools use. It was also claimed last night that PE sessions in the park could "change the nature" of a popular west end green space.

... Ministers were told that Victoria Park could be used for playing fields, perhaps with an all-weather surface installed, but Councillor Bidwell said a "detailed proposal" was not previously shared.

... a claim which Councillor Fordyce denied last night. "I can't say off the top of my head when it was first raised," she said. "It wasn't just tagged on at the end - it was raised."

4. City official not consulted on plan for Victoria Park (The Courier, 14 Dec 2009)

Director of leisure and communities Stewart Murdoch was not aware that education bosses had told ministers the park could be used for playing fields, perhaps with an all-weather surface installed.

... The plan, in particular the Victoria Park proposal, has caused much controversy locally and last night Mr McCready said it must be examined "in great detail" before being rubber-stamped.

... "Victoria Park is popular with local people in the west end and is well used," Mr McCready added. "Using it exclusively for educational purposes may impact on local people's use of the park and I want to be sure that their views are taken on board as well as the views of the education stakeholders."

5. School's park plan will not mean fence (The Courier, 15 Dec 2009)

Dundee City Council has stepped in to try to reassure west end residents that parts of Victoria Park are not to be fenced off for the exclusive use of pupils. The park has become central to the row over future primary school provision in the area.

... Attempting to answer the criticism, the council pointed to other schools in the city that use public parks and said there would also be outside space available on the shared campus itself.

"There will be playground areas, including a grassed area, located within the proposed shared campus," a council spokesman said.

"There is also the possibility of including an all-weather area in the draft plans for the former Harris Academy annexe site.

... the spokesman added, "The use of Victoria Park for sporting activity will form part of our plans but it is not our intention to erect any fencing around a dedicated area or to construct an all-weather surface at the park."

6. Worries over Victoria Park (Evening Telegraph, 15 Dec 2009)

Doubts have been expressed about the use of Victoria Park for playing fields, and west end councillor Fraser Macpherson revealed today many west end residents had contacted him with concerns.

One Blackness Road resident had written, "I find it unbelievable that a decision such as this appears to have been made with no public consultation. The park has been in use as open public space for over 100 years and a change of use of even part of it would be seriously detrimental to its use and to the west end as a whole. I would like to know why this is the only option being looked at, and what other options are available."

7. Concern at St Joseph's proposal (Letters, Evening Telegraph, 15 Dec 2009)

I feel the new school, with its wifi, and hopefully no leaks, is a double blow to the many St Joseph’s pupils who live in the west end tenements, as not only will they be robbed of the vital opportunity to explore the outdoors while at school, those whose parents take them to play at Victoria Park will have their space to play constrained as sections will be cordoned off for the new school’s facilities.

8. Council pressed on park proposal (The Courier, 16 Dec 2009)

The city council has pointed out that other city schools use public parks, and also said there would be outside space on the shared campus itself.

... (Councillor) McCready pointed out that the school inspectors' report issued last week talked about there being a "dedicated" part of the park for the schools to use.

9. Victoria Park talk "most unhelpful" (Evening Telegraph, 16 Dec 2009)

West End SNP Councillor Jim Barrie spoke out over "rumours" associated with the proposal after talks with the director and convener of education.

... Councillor Barrie said, "It is important the public are aware and assured there will be no area 'cordoned off' for dedicated school use and full access for members of the public will continue."

... Mr Barrie said, "... I remember as a five-year-old pupil the excitement of the rare visits to Victoria Park for summer sports day, and being introduced to the many varieties of trees in Balgay Park. That is what Balgay Park is there for, and the occasional use of its facilities should be encouraged. I am sure the regular users of the park would love to see more children playing, not only in Victoria Park, but exploring the trails up Balgay Hill and visiting the Observatory."

10. Don't despoil Victoria Park (Letters, The Courier, 18 Dec 2009)

The Friends of Balgay heard a brief hint of this plan a few weeks ago and immediately protested.

Victoria Park is very well used by families and young people who gather together there, picnic when the weather is fine and enjoy the friendly atmosphere.

If football is played there, the ground will be churned up and lying on the grass will no longer be comfortable or even possible.

... To get to Victoria Park from the planned school site, children would have to walk quite a distance up Blackness Road, negotiate what is quite a dangerous crossroads and make their way round the flower beds. It would seem that a simpler solution would be to bus the children to Lochee Park and allow them to use the facilities available there.

11. Pledge to consult Victoria Park users (Evening Telegraph, 18 Dec 2009)

In an email to Cllr MacPherson, Mr Collins pointed out that new regulations now give easier opportunity for anyone who wishes to make comment on a planning issue and emphasised no major takeover of any of the park space is envisaged.

He added there are “no proposals to erect fences and the statement I have read in the Press about a possible all-weather facility is quite simply wrong — no such facility is proposed.

12. Victoria Park concerns - feedback from the Director of Education (Councillor Fraser Macpherson's blog, www.dundeewestend.com, 18 Dec 2009)

... the City Council's Director of Education has responded to me about the department's proposals for use of Victoria Park by the schools on the proposed shared campus on the former Logie Secondary School site as follows :

"I want to emphasise that no major take over of any of the park space is envisaged. Primary schools in Dundee who do not have dedicated playing fields occasionally make use of park space for events such as sports days and football matches, but their use tends to be rare. I do not envisage the new West End campus requiring anything more frequent in Victoria Park."

If you can decipher the council's plans and align these with the Scottish Government and HMIe decision notice, please leave a comment and help us understand.

Some confusion at DCC regarding use of Victoria Park

Following our previous blog entry regarding the response from the Director of Leisure and Communities to Cllr Richard McCready, stating they have "no such plans" to use Victoria Park for school playing fields, we have obtained information under FOISA that suggests some confusion between departments in the city council. We asked:

(3a). Is DCC intending to use any of the following spaces - Victoria Park, Lochee Park, Magdalen Green, - for the purpose of sport and recreational activities by the proposed new West End Primary Schools (the shared campus for Park Place and St Joseph's)?

The response given under FOISA was:

"DCC is intending that Victoria Park will be used as necessary by the proposed West End Campus"

Please can someone enlighten us regarding the city council's plans for Victoria Park with respect to the proposed new West End schools?

Update on DCC application to Scottish Government

Cllr Fraser Macpherson has posted an update on his website (www.dundeewestend.com) advising that the city council's application for dispensation should soon result in a decision from Scottish Ministers. The Director of Education is quoted to be looking forward, "with somewhat bated breath", to a decision being made soon.

Remember that the application was made on 4 August 2009, over 4 months ago, but the council has not kept parents or residents updated with developments. It has made no statement about the inclusion of Victoria Park in its application, although Schools Division in Edinburgh have confirmed that the application intends for this public park to provide playing fields for the new schools.

When a West End councillor recently asked the Director of Leisure and Communities about "a briefing on any plans to use Victoria Park in the West End Ward for school playing fields for the proposed West End school located at the former Logie site", his official and confirmed reply was:

"We have no such plans"

What is going on in Tayside House?

DCC application for dispensation from School Premises Regulations obtained under Freedom of Information

Regarding the West End Schools Project and the council's application to Scottish Ministers for dispensation from the School Premises (General Requirements and Standards) (Scotland) Regulations 1967 and as amended, the West End Parents Committee have obtained documents under Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 which the local authority have refused to publish, have refused sight of to elected councillors of the council's Education Committee, and which the Education Convener, Cllr Liz Fordyce, has claimed she considers to be a "confidential letter". The council has also refused to make the information available in response to an FOISA request. The council's formal position on this is that they are withholding the documents because:

"...it has been widely reported in the media that parents of children affected by the proposed West End schools merger are considering taking legal action against the Council, presumably by way of Judicial Review in the Court of Session. Accordingly Officers are not at liberty to disclose documents that will form part of the Council's defence to such an action, including the application made to the Scottish Government under the 1967 Regulations, at this time."

We would question what is so confidential in the application that it cannot be made public. The documents we have received under Freedom of Information suggest that the council's application includes: derogation to be granted since the regulations do not define how to interpret them with regard to a shared campus - however it is clear that other Scottish authorities have managed to deliver new shared campuses without recourse to Scottish Ministers for dispensation.

The documents we have obtained also include maps showing Victoria Park and the distance between this public space and the Logie site. We would ask if the council intends to use Victoria Park to provide playing fields in close proximity to the Logie site, as it is clear that there will be none on the site itself. We would also ask:

1. What is so secret that the Education Convener wrote in an email that she considers it to be a "confidential" letter? It has not been made available to other councillors so we would assume the council would not have given any elected member access to the documents?
2. What do parents think of the children using Victoria Park for the provision of playing fields for the new schools?
3. What do the Friends of Balgay Park think about this information?
4. What does the West End Community Council think about this?
5. What do local residents on Blackness Road and surrounding areas think about this?
6. What do teachers think about this, as they will be the ones that have to make time in the PE curriculum to walk with the children and supervise them in a public park which members of the public are entitled to visit and exercise their dogs?
7. What will the council do to ensure the provision of suitable facilities with running water, changing facilities, first aid, telephones, marked sports pitches, fenced off areas for safe play, protection from dogs, enclosed all-weather pitches?
8. What does Colin Rennie from Fields in Trust make of this, having previously cautioned the Director of Education against "seeking a waiver to obtain a level of provision less than is required by the regulations"?
9. What is the view of Sportscotland regarding the loss of the existing St Joseph's playing field when the grounds are sold to the Al-Maktoum Foundation?

Victoria Park is not zoned for this in the Dundee Local Plan and council officers stated during public consultation, when asked, that they could not site the new schools in Victoria Park for this reason. What has changed between March and now?

Council's "confidential letter" to Scottish Government

The Education Convener, Councillor Liz Fordyce, has declined to divulge what she considers to be a "confidential letter" between Dundee City Council and Scottish Government. The letter she refers to is the Council's application to Scottish Government, dated 4 August 2009, for dispensation from the minimum government regulations regarding the size of site and provision of playing fields, and relates to the Council's £10.3m project to build new schools in the West End of the city, on the site of the former Harris Academy Annexe on Blackness Road.

Councillor Fordyce had previously said in May 2009 that "there is no absolute need...to provide them with a playing field as part of the facilities of the school." She has today advised that she does not feel it is a good thing to "waste people's time or council resources."

It is unfortunate, then, that the Council has spent 6 months of public funds and Council resources repeatedly assuring parents, elected members and church representatives that the proposed site for the new schools was big enough and there would be adequate recreational/outdoor space, and that this had been "confirmed by Scottish Government" (Report 274-2009 to the Education Committee, 11 May 2009), but has now determined that it is no longer certain of this.

Some might consider that to be a waste of people's time and council resources!

Let's hope that the Chief Executive Designate will review this decision to withhold the letter and in the spirit of openness and transparency, offer up the Council's application for dispensation to public scrutiny.

Council U-turn - WEPC response

Education Committee was Misled

In a press release issued yesterday, Dundee City Council has finally admitted that it does not know if the site for new schools in the West End will comply with the School Premises (Scotland) Regulations. It is now seeking special dispensation from the Scottish Government.

The council's "extensive consultation" left key questions unanswered and parents misrepresented: 81% of written representations were against the proposal, yet this was not mentioned in the post-consultation report! More importantly, report 274-2009 to the Education Committee, on the basis of which the councillors "agreed to move forward with the plans", included this answer to a “Frequently Asked Question”:

Q: "Is the site big enough and will there be adequate recreational/outdoor space?'
A. "Yes. This has been confirmed by the Scottish Government."

The Scottish Government has since verified that no such confirmation had been given - nor could it have been! Clearly that confirmation is only now being sought. Thus the Education Committee, as well as parents and church representatives, were deliberately misled on this very important matter. Indeed, the Director of Education was questioned on this matter in City Chambers and gave his assurance that the site met the regulations. He was in no position to give any such assurance as yesterday's press release now makes clear.

Clearly this brings into question the validity of the Education Committee's decision on 11 May 2009 to approve the proposal.

We have learned through Freedom of Information requests that only one school project in the entire country has needed dispensation in recent years. Indeed, Dundee primary schools built under the PPP initiative all have considerably more site area per pupil than the proposed new West End schools. Obviously the proposed shared campus with two schools and a nursery will need more space than a single school and nursery with the same total rolls. Furthermore, the regulations require a playing field on site or in close proximity, and Colin Rennie from Fields in Trust has already cautioned the Director of Education "not to treat these regulations lightly", and especially so given "the appalling levels of childhood obesity" in Scotland.

SNP administration seeks to Limit Parental Involvement in Planning of New Schools

The SNP administration, including the Convener of Education, recently voted against an amendment to widen parental involvement in the project boards created to take these proposals forward. It is therefore clear that it wants to limit the involvement of parents in the planning of these new schools.

Valuable School Site may be Lost for Future Generations

The council argues that "Dundee contains only a limited number of available spaces where schools could be located", yet this makes it all the more incredible that it is prepared to lose the site that currently accommodates St Joseph's Primary School (and until recently Bellfield Nursery). This site is sheltered, well-situated and until recently had a single large playing field, which the council turned mostly into a school/church car park (of sorts) a few years ago. The council plans to sell all of this to the Al-Maktoum Foundation without even putting it on the open market, part-exchanging some of this land for the proposed site for new schools - the so-called Logie site of the former Harris Academy Annexe on Blackness Road.

Decision awaited from Scottish Ministers

The School Premises (Scotland) Regulations are quite clear, and we have long argued that the plan cannot meet them. We are confident that Fiona Hyslop and her colleagues will safeguard our children and uphold the regulations.

Council U-turn - press release 17 August 2009

Dundee City Council issued the following press release yesterday (17 August 2009). The Evening Telegraph published an article about this on p7 titled "School sites choice check":

SITES FOR NEW SCHOOLS

Dundee City Council is to meet with Scottish Government officials to finalise arrangements over the proposed sites for the new Lochee and West End primary schools, so that the near £20 million investment can proceed.

The city council believes that its plans represent the best possible options to improve educational facilities for primary pupils in the two areas, but it wants to ensure that there are no doubts remaining over the status of the sites under School Premises regulations.

Dundee City Council is to confirm if dispensation is required from the Scottish Government so that the projects can go ahead. The regulations were issued at a time when shared sites were not being actively pursued by local authorities. Since the regulations were issued a number of shared sites have been developed in Scotland.

A number of parents have raised questions around the regulations and it is hoped that once these have been clarified everyone can then concentrate on the development of the new schools.

The design process for the four new schools has now started. The new schools are intended to replace the current Lochee/Charleston and St Clement's primaries, along with new facilities for Park Place Primary and nursery and St Joseph's Primary.

A Dundee City Council education department spokesman said: "Since the original reports were unanimously approved by the education committee in January, extensive consultation followed and the committee then agreed to move forward with the plans.

"The committee also passed a report to create of a series of project boards that would develop the proposals for the new schools with input from as wide a range of the relevant people as possible.

"Now, as this process gets underway, the city council is looking to ensure that the situation on the size of the sites is clarified at a national level.

"Dundee contains only a limited number of available spaces where schools could be located."

"We have tried to ensure that the sites are relevant to population trends and would give us the best value for education for many years into the future.

"The investment of nearly £20 million in these new buildings would represent a significant improvement in educational facilities for many generations to come.

"To this end, we have been in correspondence with Scottish Government officials and are now looking to meet with representatives over these issues."

Courier article: "Parents to join schools project"

As reported on p5 of The Courier, 1 June 2009 (not available online):

A well-attended public meeting yesterday gave a mandate to the West End Parents group to pursue their concerns over the planned merger of St Joseph's and Park Place Primary schools on the site of the former Harris Academy annexe.

Chairman Kiran Oza said their next step will be to meet officials of Dundee City Council education department as soon as possible to become involved in the planning process and ensure their concerns are addressed.

He said, "The council is proceeding with their plans and it is important we engage with that. At the education committee on May 11 (when councillors voted to combine the two schools and the Park Place Nursery) it was said they were setting up a number of groups, including a project group and an implementation group, and we would look to get involved with those groups."

Mr Oza said the principal issues raised from the floor of the meeting, held at Club Romano, included whether the council conformed to existing legislation in trying to do all they want at the site, and questions on parking and traffic.

"There was also concern that officials have said they would look at tarmac or concreting over the area as a solution to possible contamination at the site. People were unhappy about this as both are porous and we will need to get some advice on that", Mr Oza said.

Parents have complained the site has insufficient space for playing fields.

"National body concerned at shared school ground"

An article in The Courier on 21 May 2009 reported on the correspondence between Fields in Trust and Dundee City Council. The article is not available on The Courier's website, so it has been transcribed here:

A national organisation dedicated to protecting and improving outdoor sports and play areas has sought assurances from Dundee City Council about a shared campus for two primary schools, writes Brian Allison, local Government reporter.

The council has agreed to go ahead with controversial plans to create a shared campus for St Joseph's primary school and Park Place primary and nursery on the site of the former Harris Academy annexe in Blackness Road.

The views of parents on the scheme are sharply divided, with those of pupils at Park Place generally in favour while many of the St Joseph's parents are against it.

There were angry scenes at last week's meeting of the education committee, which endorsed the plan, with opponents shouting that they had been lied to by the council.

Now the matter has been raised with Fields in Trust (FIT), which was formerly the National Playing Fields Association.

Scottish manager of FIT, Colin Rennie, said they had been contacted by a number of parents concerned that the new site might be too small to allow proper play and outdoor sports provision.

Mr Rennie has written to director of education Jim Collins asking for details of how the council intends to meet the requirements of the school premises regulations in relation to outdoor sports and play provision at the site.

"Our organisation would caution against seeking a waiver to obtain a level of provision less than is required by the regulations," he said.

"Our message to the council is not to take this matter lightly," he said.

"Given the appalling levels of childhood obesity throughout the country it is something all councils should take seriously."

He said taking part in sports and exercise provided not just physical benefits for children but also social and psychological ones as well.

FIT is the only independent UK-wide organisation with a mission to protect and improve outdoor spaces and facilities for sports and play.

Its intention is to ensure that people of all ages have somewhere nearby to go for healthy, outdoor activities.

"No absolute need for them ... for us to provide them with a playing field"

Speaking on STV last night, Cllr Liz Fordyce (Education Convener of the Education Committee) had this to say:

“It is tight, but … where we’ve had room we’ve built out the way and schools are only one storey high. This one we could build up the way and they’ll still have all the facilities. It is an inner city school so there is no absolute need for them ... for us to provide them with a playing field as part of the facilities of the school.”

Outcome of Education Committee Meeting 11 May 2009

Last night, the Education Committee of Dundee City Council approved the proposal to build new schools on the Logie site and relocate St Joseph's Primary, Park Place Primary and Park Place Nursery schools to that site.

Actually, they voted on this proposal in January 2009 and last night was simply a confirmation of this following public consultation and the Director of Education's report (274-2009) on the outcome of the consultation exercise.

They listened to our deputation and that of the St Joseph's Parent Council, but they didn't ask any questions, so they must have agreed with the speakers, and still they approved the proposal.

Plus ça change.

We issued statements to The Courier and Radio Tay. The Evening Telegraph has expanded (and misinterpreted) the words in our statement, the BBC website asked for a statement for a story they were running, and we've been interviewed and broadcast on GMTV and STV.

We are committed to working to ensure that the Director of Education keeps to his promise to cap the pupil intake for the new schools at 450 (combined) and to ensure that the Council delivers genuine improvements to the schools estate for the West End.

Contact your local Councillor

In response to an email sent from West End Parents to Ward Councillors, Cllr Fraser Macpherson has requested that members of the anonymous group contact him directly in order to validate that this is a website constructed by parents and carers.

Cllr Macpherson has offered the following statement:

"I am very happy to speak at any time to any constituent; something I have practised throughout 8 years representing the West End on Dundee City Council. I will ensure that the questions you have raised are brought to the attention of the Director [of Education]."

He also assures that, "It goes without saying that the contact by any constituent to me is treated as confidential between myself and the constituent concerned."

Other ward councillors would no doubt be as happy to speak with constituents directly, whether they have concerns or are in favour of the proposal as it stands.

Please contact Cllr Fraser Macpherson directly, but remember to make your written representation to the Council by 6th April 2009.