Community concerns about botched calculations for Dargavel Primary School – which date back several years – have finally been heard by Renfrewshire Council.
Provost Lorraine Cameron apologised to David Woodrow, chair of Bishopton Community Council, and other residents after a review into the mistakes said their serious reservations about projections for the school in Arrochar Drive were “brushed aside”.
An investigation into the errors, which was conducted by former local government chief executive David Bowles, said the group could see that a plan for a school of around 440 pupils was “inadequate” before the 2018 Section 75 agreement was signed.
Referring to the concerns, which were also raised by elected members, Mr Bowles said in his report: “I have not found a single instance where any of these were treated seriously and triggered any proper investigation within the council.
“The comments appear to have been brushed aside with an increasing degree of irritation, and what some may regard as professional arrogance.”
Councillor Cameron, Renfrewshire’s civic head, said at a recent meeting: “We have someone in this room today, David Woodrow from Bishopton Community Council.
“It’s highly unusual for us to address a member of the public, by the Provost or the councillors, but I feel as if today it’s necessary.
“I hope what’s happened today and the way forward, you take a little comfort from the dedication that the councillors are showing to moving on with this and finding a resolution and making things right for the people of Bishopton. That’s our top priority.
“Your opinions, your findings, your investigations are all validated here today and I would like if you would take that back to everyone else who was involved, everyone who approached the council and were told that they were talking rubbish.
“Literally that’s what happened. I know that’s quite a crass way of putting it but I want you to tell them that we are extremely sorry and we will do everything, I will give a personal guarantee, we will do everything to make this right.”
The blunders have left a bill on the table of up to £75 million for a second primary school and extension for Park Mains High School, with the council planning to increase its capacity from around 1,600 to 2,000.
However, Mr Woodrow sounded the alarm again at the meeting and told the council to “take heed” of the community’s views on secondary school provision.
He said: “From day one, this community of Bishopton and Dargavel were not two separate places. It’s one community.
“We have been advocating for a senior school or a campus covering all and I think you should not be spending the money on either a second primary school or extending Park Mains until such times as you’ve had a really good look, because, the way it looks at the moment, you’re going down the same route you went down with Dargavel Primary as far as the numbers are concerned.
“Think about it. Take heed of what we, as a community, have been saying since day one on this. I could say, yes I told you so, with that report – every bit of that.
“I’ve got papers with me that show we even went to the Scottish Government and again, you should be going to the Scottish Government because they blanked us as well.”
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