Relocation of Callander Primary School

The responses to the consultation have been analysed and discussed. A meeting took place on Monday 18 September 2023 to discuss the topic. The minutes of this meeting are attached, and responses to each area of concern are addressed below.

Response to main area of concern

Responses to the Consultation share common areas of concern relating to the relocation of Callander Primary School. This section will respond to each theme in turn.

Sports Facilities

The existing 3G pitch is not being lost – it is being moved south on the site (to where the existing under sized high school rugby pitch is located) to create an improved Central Plaza that will benefit the wider Campus. The relocated 3G pitch will benefit from a new 3G carpet to further extend its life and benefit all users. The 3G pitch is required to close fully for a short period at the commencement of the works (this is currently estimated to be up to 5 weeks) followed by a period where half the existing 3G pitch will remain available while we construct the new 3G. As soon as the new 3G is complete, this will be fully opened for use, well ahead of the handover of the new build primary school. We are working with the high school and primary school to look at ways they can relocate some PE to the existing grass pitch at the primary school during the period of works. We will work with local community users of the 3G to try to facilitate as many of the Club bookings we can during the period of the works on the half 3G pitch.

The build includes the provision of a new area of flat amenity space that can be used by all Campus users for a variety of uses, including athletics. This grass area will be in the new land purchased to supplement the campus site so although the new 3G moves to where the existing rugby pitch is located, alternative areas of grass on the site are being provided.

The rugby pitch at the existing primary school will be retained and changing facilities provided to allow this valuable asset to be used by all education facilities as well as the Rugby Club and other community groups. Discussions ongoing with the high school around how they can timetable PE to allow time for pupils to walk to the primary school pitch, change and get a meaningful amount of time for PE lesson.

Transport / Travel

The building work will enhance the network of paths already within the school/Campus, promoting active travel and the creation of a travel plan for the new site to promote active, safe and sustainable travel and improving the safety of all users. A new path will be created directly to the primary school site from Mollands Road, as well as the build providing additional car parking, new cycle parking and improved drop off facilities. Stirling Council’s School Transport Policy will apply.

The Consultation recognises the community’s desire for a pedestrian bridge and improvements to The Creep to assist walking routes to the new Campus. The design of the building work allows for connection points should the bridge be constructed in future, however, it must be noted that improvements beyond the school/Campus site are out with the scope of this project.

School Footprint

Land has been purchased to supplement the existing McLaren High School and Leisure Centre site to create the Campus site. While the primary school will be able to share the wider campus grounds and facilities, there are also dedicated primary school grounds within the site that will be fenced off to support security and staff supervision. These grounds will support external teaching and learning as well as play and will include hard standing, grass, soft landscaping, seating areas, the Daily Mile track etc. Due to the new land that has been acquired to supplement the campus site, the high school does not lose out on external space – we will be improving the external space to create a connected campus. We will be improving the nursery grounds as part of the work scope – the current garden is a difficult shape to supervise and this is being addressed.

Consultation

The Consultation regarding the relocation of Callander Primary School has been carried out as legally required by the Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010. Prior to the formal consultation process, a ‘pre-consultation’ phase was carried out in various ways:

• Discussion with the Parent Council at Parent Council Meetings
• Workshops involving stakeholders including staff from Stirling Council, McLaren High
• School, Callander Primary School, McLaren Leisure Centre and the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park Authority
• Three design charrettes focusing on the site, core spaces and shared spaces, involving pupils, staff and parents.

This consultation process resulted in a vision of a vibrant, inclusive campus which supports a connected learner journey by enhancing opportunities with and for the community. A campus which strengthens physical and digital links to promote accessibility, wellbeing and social connectedness, redefining existing assets to create a sustainable and resilient setting at the heart of the wider Callander community.

Six design options were tested and evaluated against the strategic objectives for the project. This process was then refined to three preferred options and more detailed site and building concept designs were developed. From this process a final site was selected which best aligns with the vision and strategic objectives for the Callander Campus. A separate Pre-Planning Application Consultation on the proposals also took place from April – June 2023. Two in person consultation events were held during this period and proposals were also published on the Engage Stirling platform to allow online consultation and comments to be captured.

School Capacity

The new school will be built with a maximum build capacity of 317 mainstream pupils. This will be designed as 11 classroom model with additional breakout spaces, therefore making the new building larger and more flexible than the current one. This takes into account capacity required to accommodate forward roll projections including all known and approved LDP growth in the catchment area. There is scope to build an additional 2 classrooms should capacity require this in the future.

The ASN Provision will have capacity of 12 pupils in bespoke accommodation including 2 classrooms plus its own flexible use space, breakout rooms, toilets, personal care areas and storage. The Provision will have direct access to its own outside space.

Pupil Noise

Discussions are already underway with senior management at McLaren High School to find the best possible solution regarding the management of noise throughout the build. This will be done in partnership with education staff and the contractors on site. There is also a precedent at McLaren High School for managing pupil noise throughout the year, including during times of SQA examinations. McLaren High School has temporarily accommodated pupils from local primary schools during other building works, and with the nursery already in situ noise mitigations are already in place.

Parking

Additional car parking and drop off facilities are planned to supplement the existing car parking adjacent to McLaren Leisure car park. The number of spaces will be compliant with Planning and Building Regulations, and will include disabled car parking and electric car parking points.

Disruption / Health & Safety During Construction

Stirling Council recognises the disruption and challenges that a large infrastructure build can bring. The construction of the new primary school and wider campus improvements are being delivered through East Central Scotland Hub with Kier Construction appointed as the main contractor. Kier are an experienced national contractor who have delivered many similar education projects in live school environments. The contractor and project team are developing detailed logistics plans with health and safety as a key priority. As these plans develop, engagement will continue to take place with key stakeholders including the high school, the nursery and the leisure centre to ensure the works are fully planned and construction risk robustly managed.

Construction traffic will be kept far away from pupils. The construction route in will be via a temporary haul road being created to the south of the site which will be used by all construction parking. Construction worker’s vehicles will be parked in the construction site and will not impact the existing car parking at McLaren Leisure Centre The construction site will be fenced off around its full perimeter, with a gate manned during the contractors working hours to open up for legitimate site traffic/visitors. The site will be securely locked at all times.

Cost

At its meeting on 2 March 2023, Stirling Council approved a capital budget for the build of £2.301M in 2023/24 with indicative allocations of £16M in 2024/25 and £5.528M in 2025/26. The project has secured an offer of grant funding from Scottish Government through the Learning Estate Investment Programme (LEIP) (Phase 2) with a revenue funding contribution of £8.749M paid over a 25 year period and conditional upon achievement of agreed programme outcomes.

Environmental Impact

As part of the planning process, a Screening Option was carried out in accordance with the Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) (Scotland) Regulations 2017. This states that prior to the commencement of the building work, an environmental aspect and impact assessment must be completed, which will assess a number of potential environmental impacts including emissions, ecology and biodiversity and waste generation. LEIP (Phase 2) funding that has been secured towards this build is accompanied with strict sustainability requirements that must be upheld; for example, including targets on energy usage, heating and ventilation.

A dedicated primary school drop off point will be provided by the build however alternative modes of transport will be encouraged. New cycle/scooter storage will be installed and the walking network within the site will be enhanced by the development work. Each Stirling Council school should already have an active travel plan (known as a School Travel Plan) in place, which should be updated by school staff once the relocation is complete.