Executive to decide on planning application

Holyrood will have final say on school plan Evening Times

MINISTERS are to rule on a controversial plan to build houses next to a new school.

A planning application by housing firm Amec for houses next to Bishopbriggs Academy has been referred to the Scottish Executive.

Bishopbriggs High and Thomas Muir High are merging as part of a £100million PPP plan to build six secondaries in East Dunbartonshire.

Bishopbriggs Academy will be built on the site of the former Thomas Muir High school in Wester Cleddens Road, Woodhill.

But campaigners have voiced concerns over the loss of green space adjoining the site which, they say, should be for sports facilities instead of housing.

However, East Dunbartonshire council leader John Morrison said: "The new Bishopbriggs Academy will have better sports facilities than ever before."

Nice one John - there never has been a Bishopbriggs Academy so how can it "have better sports facilities than ever before?"

No matter how you 'spin it' the land, that is already used for schools, would be better continuing to be used for the new school. But then that wouldn't make MONEY - would it!

Let's see how the figures add up when this PPP project is over.

Time to do to the Liberal Democrats what they have done to Bishopbriggs High School and the children of Bishopbriggs

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Comment from and old pupil

Just found your blog and it's amazing.

I lived in the briggs and went to the High school and found the information here totally awesome!

Why are the parents letting this happen?

The new head and the council are like pals and the school move is a lib dem doing!

If Mr Waddell was in charge then this would not happen - maybe that's why the dumped him!

None are so blind as those that cannot see - selling off land and placing the school on the only land that was left as they use the old Thomas Muir for St Ninian's - are you people stupid?

The council then grant planning with loads of condition! Try to get an extension with one thing wrong and see the difference.

As for the school Board - were they appointed by the council? Looks like it to me. The co-chair works for them - how bad is that?

Great blog keep it up. I now live in the US but love my roots.

I cannot believe how stupid the people of Bishopbriggs are to let this happen under their noses.

Thanks James and power to your elbow.

Join the torchlight vigil

MSP Jean Turner is expected to attend the final torchlight vigil opposing plans to sell the so-called 'surplus' land at the still to be built Bishopbriggs Academy.

The following night Councillors will meet to decide the OUTLINE planning application for this land.

The vigil will start at 7 pm and last for around 20 minutes, on Wester Cleddens Road beside St Helen's PS.

Donald Macdonald
Chair
Woodhill Residents Group

Where were the Interim School Board?

Probably the most important meeting with regard to the new Bishopbriggs Academy took place in Tom Johnston House.

Where were the Interim School Board?

Only one member of the Board, Ken Low, attended and only to speak ON BEHALF of the developers.

As for the other members... Your guess is as good as mine - they were NOT at the meeting.

Over fifty members of the public did attend the council planning meeting.

It was important to them - was it important to the school board?

Councillors who want severance pay

Here is a list of East Dunbartonshire councillors who have applied for severance pay...

Robert Duncan - Castlehill and Thorn - Liberal Democrat
Edward McGaughrin - Hillhead and Broomhill - Labour
Tom Smith - Woodhill West - Labour
Julia Southcott - Bearsden - Liberal Democrat
Pat Steel - Baljaffrey and Mosshead - Liberal Democrat (Provost)

From the list here

Join the fight to stop the sale of land.

From this Wednesday's Evening Times (page 19)

100 residents protest at the sell of the, so called, 'surplus' land at the Thomas Muir site. A bigger school on a smaller site that has over forty conditions before the work can start.

You can see the report here (copyright Newsquest 2007)

Ex- Celtic players Tommy Gallagher and Charlie Gallagher back fight to stop housing plan at school site.

It seems crazy to sell off school land and then to share a pitch

Join the school board... more information here

East Dunbartonshire officers are not fit for purpose?

Liberal Democrat supporter Alastair McPhee puts the question:

I am becoming extremely exasperated by the decisions that our Councillors have taken regarding the major changes in Bishopbriggs. Can they do a John Reid and argue that the East Dunbartonshire officers are not fit for purpose or are is it just that our team are consistently picking the wrong option?

This is in response to the Evening Times article (below) you can read his comments here

More from this blog...

FibDems Scottish Liberal Democrats - you can't trust them This is the proof!

"Lib Dem donor jailed for dishonesty" Read it here

Oh No Jo.... Again Read it here

Bus giant supports parents in school row

BUS giant First has joined forces with a group of parents fighting a decision to sell off school land as part of a closure plan.

Councillors have given the go-ahead to a controversial site for the new Bishopbriggs Academy on the outskirts of the town, despite huge concerns raised by parents.

© Newsquest 2007

The new school is to go on the site of the former Thomas Muir High School in Wester Cleddens Road, Woodhill.

But campaigners say some children will be forced to walk too far to get to the new school.

More from Evening Times

"Best value for the public purse" - John Morrison

From a report in this weeks Bishopbriggs Herald

Residents shook their heads in disgust and told some councillors to be 'ashamed of themselves', following the marathon meeting at Tom Johnston House last Wednesday evening.

Councillor Charles Kennedy proposed that a decision be held over for a month to take residents' views into consideration, but his amendment was kicked-out by 16 votes to seven.

Donald MacDonald said, "Setting the meeting up as a public hearing was no more than window dressing from the council to try and appease residents."

So what did the council leader, John Morrison have to say?

"The planning board has approved plans for a school that represent best value for the public purse."

"We have seized a once in a generation opportunity for the young people of East Dunbartonshire. They deserve no less."

Read the article here

Ask yourself this - If you had submitted plans to the council that required 46 conditions - just to be heard. Would YOU have been given approval? FOURTY SIX CONDITIONS - conditions that included the safety of children with the submission of a 'late' 'incomplete' travel plan?

Who's interests did the council have at heart? - the education of your children in the best possible school? Or the developers in a rush to get the project started by 'shoehorning' the building into a 'smaller' site on the 'only' space left while the old school was in 'use'. Then 'bolt on' sport facilities from local primary schools and selling off so called 'surplus' land.

Did they make their decisions on 'education' grounds? Or was it, as John Morrison said, best value for the public purse. The same purse that has just spent millions on a recycling shambles!

Morrison's Baby

The directors cut...



Or you can view it here

Write to your councillor or MSP

You can use this site to write to your councillors or MSPs regarding this issue (or anything else that concerns them)

Use this link - Write to them

Stand for the Academy School Board

Elections will be held this March for a new Academy Board. All parents/guardians are entitled to stand.



Please ask your children to collect an application form from the school. It has to be completed and returned before the deadline of 3pm, Thursday March 1st.

Any parent/guardian can become a board member and it is worthwhile, you will be asked to attend meetings that help make decisions on your children's education.

Six vacancies exist and unless more than six parents apply NO elections will be held and those that apply will automatically become members.

HAVE YOUR SAY ON THE NEW ACADEMY AND THE EDUCATION OF YOUR CHILDREN - APPLY NOW.

The head teacher is NOT a member of the board, but should attend the meeting and make presentations to the board.

School PPP scheme a ‘catastrophe’ for pupils

Leading architect Malcolm Fraser has resigned from a Scottish Executive advisory panel over concerns that schools built using private finance could be damaging children.

Read the article here in the Sunday Herald

Sign the petition to save the "surplus' land

Please sign the Woodhill Residents petition to try and stop the developers selling the 'surplus' land on the Thomas Muir site.

Remember the promise that the Thomas Muir site was larger, Square etc.

Now it looks like the new school, that has to accommodate TWICE the number of pupils than the present school, will be built on a smaller site.

The promised sports improvement will have to be shared.

Read more here

If you want the children of Bishopbriggs to have the best school possible then sign the petition.

Stop the land sale and force the council and developers to use this land for education, as it is now.

You can sign here it only takes a minute.

Petition:
We the undersigned object to the idea of land being sold on the Thomas Muir Site, while pupils are forced to use nearby school playing fields, there is inadequate drop off facilities and the school may be built too close to the Torr Road houses.

Petition organised by Donald MacDonald

Bats are more important than your childrens safety

If bats are found on or around the site of the new Bishopbriggs Academy then developers CANNOT proceed until their future has been addressed.

Yet - a travel plan, that the council admit, does NOT meet requirements is NOT a matter that they decided could delay the new school.

Council leader, John Morrison, admitted that he had not, in his long history of sitting on the planning board, seen a submission that had so many conditions attached due to the inadequacies of the original plans.

Yet - he was happy to approve it!

It will now go to for approval to the Scottish Executive, objectors can put their case to them to reject this 'flawed' submission - last night approved by the Liberal Democrat run East Dunbartonshire Council.

Approved after six hour meeting

The building will go ahead, despite various concerns, that the council agreed with!

Including the admission that the school travel plan submitted was a shambles!

Councillor Morrison and his Lib Dem colleagues had no hesitation but to vote for approval despite the amendment proposal of a two week delay for the developers to submit updated plans.

Done deal...