Bishopbriggs housing plans on school land put on hold

PLANS to build 50 new homes on the site of a bus terminus have been put on hold to allow councillors to visit the location.Developers MacTaggart and Mickel want to create 10 town houses and 40 flats on surplus land at the former Thomas Muir High School, in Bishopbriggs.

However, several residents have objected to the proposals because the development would be built on a bus terminus, as well as concerns over the increase in traffic and noise they fear it would create.

The plans went before the council's planning board last week and were recommended to be granted, subject to a list of conditions, one being that an alternative bus terminus is provided in the area prior to work starting on the development. 
Following a site visit, the plans will go before the next planning board on June 30. 

Meanwhile, plans to build 32 new homes on a derelict site have been continued, for the second time, to a planning board meeting later this month. 

Hallam Land Management Ltd want to create 32 new homes - including at least 40 per cent affordable housing - on a site adjacent to Kirkintilloch Road, in Bishopbriggs. 
However, the application has been recommended for refusal because of concerns over access. 
The application has been continued to allow for talks to try and find a soloution to the issue with access.

Source: Kirkintilloch Herald

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

"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!

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

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...

Compromise - Bishopbriggs Academy and the PPP

The Academy was moved from it's intended site in the town centre on the promise of a better school not restricted by the site problems at the High School site.
Better sports provision and an improved design.
All the pupils would be moved to the High School and the site at Thomas Muir cleared with a new super school built.
No, site restrictions at Thomas Muir!

Lots of prime land at the High School site - just no good for a school - if you believe the Lib Dems

What has happened...

All our children are 'shoehorned' into Bishopbriggs High (1300 pupils) the school was built for less than a 1000.

Meanwhile the existing Thomas Muir School, that should have been demolished, is now being used by another school while they have a brand new school built on their 'cleared' site.

The promised sports provision is being 'shoehorned' onto the 'smaller site' plus 'bolted on' from two neighbouring Primary Schools (one across a main road).

The design of the school has to be 'shoehorned' into the only space left while the existing school is being used.

Amazingly, with all this known, the developers still believe there is 'surplus' land to be sold for profit at the Thomas Muir site.

The prime Bishopbriggs High School site will make them millions and Turnbull High will provide even more 'surplus' land to add to the windfall.

Ask yourself, if this is what the people of Bishopbriggs were sold when the Council decide to move the school for 'better educational' reasons.

Ask yourself, if the Interim School Board have keep you informed (their duty) of what has happened and taken 'your' advice?

Ask yourself, when May comes. you can then decide if this Council, who represent you, have done a good job!

Ask yourself, when the election for the new Academy School Board, that should have taken place in August 2006, if you want this board to continue.

Decide if I was wrong to tell you, from the start, that Bishopbriggs have compromised during a project where Bishopbriggs is the ONLY area to LOSE a school.

Comments welcome...

Interim School Board MISS deadline for planning objection.

The Interim School Board missed the deadline for planning objections to the new Academy!

They will now speak IN FAVOUR of the developers plan!

Would it be safe to say that InspirED were so impressed with their OBJECTIONS that they asked them to speak in favour of their plan - now that's inspired!

This is the ONLY way they will be allowed to speak at next weeks meeting.

Next weeks Public Hearing will take place on Wednesday 31st January at 5.30 pm in the Council Chambers, Tom Johnston House, Kirkintilloch.

I have read their representation - did they not see the latest updates to the planning application before it was written?

The proposed 'parents' parking bays on Angus Avenue have already been proposed. The entrance has already been moved further along Wester Cleddens road (before the plan has been approved).

Possibly the most important meeting since the councils decision to move the school - have the Interim School board informed parents of this meeting? Have you seen a copy of their representation? The Interim Board speak on YOUR behalf.



Why do we still have an Interim School Board almost SIX months after they should have been replaced and one month after a vote to elect a new board?

Could it be that they support the council and the council are reluctant to replace them?

Academy makes Herald Diary...

Ken Smith has commented on the unpopular decision to build the Academy on Thomas Muir site.

Just saying what the voters think?

Academic argument
AND so some people pass into folklore. A meeting to discuss the unpopular decision by the council to site the new Bishopbriggs Academy on a less accessible site than the current Bishopbriggs High heard one complainer argue: "The only way the new school could be less popular would be if you made Jade Goody the new janitor."

See it here Herald

Public hearing dates and times

The pre-hearing will take place on Tuesday 23rd January 2007 at 6.30 pm in the 'Big Eat' Canteen, Tom Johnston House, Kirkintilloch.

This pre-hearing is to inform the Public of the procedures for conduct of the Hearing.

The Public Hearing will take place on Wednesday 31st January 2007 at 5.30 pm in the Council Chambers, Tom Johnston House, Kirkintilloch.

It is not a forum to introduce new arguments.

Talks planned on new school sites

PEOPLE will soon get the chance to have their say on plans for two new secondary schools in East Dunbartonshire.

Public hearings will be held within weeks over proposed new sites for Bishopbriggs Academy and Bearsden Academy.

It follows a planning meeting this week at which councillors gave the go-ahead for a fourth school to be built under the £100m public private partnership scheme.

The council committee has now given full planning permission to four of the schools in the rebuilding programme, Kirkintilloch High, St Ninian's High, Turnbull High, and Douglas Academy.

Site visits and public hearings will now be held regarding the two remaining schools.

More from Evening Times

Jo Swinson to walk to school

Liberal Democrat MP, Jo Swinson has been invited to 'walk to school'.

A parent from Hilton Road asked Jo to join her and find out the issues children from this area of Bishopbriggs will have walking to the New Academy.

Jo has agreed, it is hoped this will take place tomorrow, January 19th.




With snow lying on the ground today this will be a good indication of how the weather will effect the journey.

Hilton Road is a lot closer to the new Academy than some other areas of Bishopbriggs that children will have to walk from.

I will report the outcome of the walk as soon as I hear.

Drains at Thomas Muir site

This information has been sent to the site...

The planning application for the Academy claims that there is no history of flooding at the Academy site. This is patently untrue as both of the schools have had to have large stone filled drains installed recently to deal with run off surface water. Even this has not completely resolved this problem as this photograph shows.

Comment...

I looks like this is at an entrance gate.

Planning decision

At tonight's meeting of the Council planning committee, a decision over the planning application for Bishopbriggs Academy was deferred pending a site visit and public hearing.

It is hoped that this can be carried out on the same day (still to be confirmed).

Councillor Morrison constantly refereed to the planning had to be completed "quickly".

Another meeting is scheduled for Wednesday 31st January at 5.30pm and Tuesday 6th February.

Sports facilities

We would all like to see more sports facilities but there is a limit to what local authorities can do with the land and resources available
Sandy McGarvey

Yes, especially when you decide to sell off large sections of land that is already zoned for education...

Quote of the year!


Full story in today's Herald

For anyone who has been privilege to read the planning report (I have). They would have noticed the section on the areas around the pitch being less than the recommended safety areas.

The developers stated...

their is insufficient space to provide full run-offs etc.

If they checked their plans again, the pitch sides run parallel to the 'surplus' land. The safety area could easily be achieved if this land was used for education not gain.

If the planning is approved, as is, the safety of pupils would be compromised to achieve better receipts for land sale.

Revised plan for Academy site

The Woodhill Residents Group have submitted a revised plan for the siting of the new Academy.

You can view the document contents here

And a site plan is available on their home page here

The plan involves moving the school North and using the 'surplus' land to accommodate the traffic management.

The council planning meeting will take place next week.

Apples and Oranges?

The Transport Assessment is available on the council web site under planning. It also has an updated map (Sketch) of the changed access on Wester Cleddens Road (as posted earlier on the site).

Can you see anything wrong with the Site Location Plan (below) that compares the Bishopbriggs High School site and the Thomas Muir site? Why has the entire site at Thomas Muir been highlighted but only the school at Bishopbriggs High?
Surly not to make one site look larger than the other!


Reproduced under the terms of Faber Maunsell "INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY" as published on their web site.

The plan indicates that Accident data has been requested from East Dunbartonshire Council but has NOT been provided.
(Page15 3.8)

Another interesting point was the bus journeys to school taken by pupils of Bishopbriggs High School and Thomas Muir before amalgamation.

Bishopbriggs High 5% (around 50 pupils) used the bus to get to school
Thomas Muir High 35% (around 200 pupils) used the bus to get to school

Thomas Muir had only 480 pupils (same report) my maths make 200 pupils around 42% not 35% or almost half.
Does that show it's more difficult to access this site?

The plan also agrees that Bishopbriggs Railway Station is now outside the Scottish Executive guidelines - that the acceptable walking distance for rail stations to a place of education or place of employment is 800m. Therefore, rail travel is not considered a viable transport mode for pupils or staff of Bishopbriggs Academy.

Not the case if the High School site had been agreed as public consultation wished.

Amazingly on page 20 the another map indicates bus stops and shelters. One of the stops is marked on the bus terminus which may not exist as it's part of the 'surplus' land the developers want to sell!

East Dunbartonshire Council policy on dealing with traffic impacts of new development is
provided in their memo of 18 January 2005 provided in Appendix B.

Under traffic impact...

During the time of writing, utilities works in Bishopbriggs Town Centre on Kirkintilloch Road
have been underway and this will have a significant impact on the traffic patterns within
Bishopbriggs as a whole. Therefore, it has not been possible to obtain any meaningful survey
data in the vicinity of the Thomas Muir site and no historic data was available either.

Importantly, the roads memo states...

“The implication of the above is that traffic capacity issues should not be used as a reason for refusing a planning application which the Planning Service is minded to grant….”

Two access options are proposed - as far as I am aware - no decision has been made on planning approval for the new school. I am also aware that work has started to create an access point indicated on one of the options.

Has the work has started before approval.

Worryingly on page 38

7.6.3.5 Rail Measures
Milngavie rail station is 1.6km walk from the school is above the maximum walking threshold
figure of 800m specified by the Scottish executive.

"Milngavie rail station" Same plan used for different schools or what?

Happy New Year

2007

Janitor's houses

If you have read other posts on this site you would remember the council saying that the janitor's house on the Bishopbriggs High School site restricted their building plot. There was no money available to purchase it.

Same with the child care centre on the same site.

© Google Earth

Several months on we're expected to forget that, as they decide a valuable strip of land at Thomas Muir is 'surplus' and should be sold off for housing.

© Google Earth


Wait a minute, doesn't that land include a Janitor's house, they don't own, and a bus terminus?

Surly they can't find money to buy them out when they had none for the same purpose at the Bishopbriggs High site?

Not content with gaining the entire site at Bishopbriggs High they want to claw back land from Turnbull and Thomas Muir.

The will be building the biggest school ever in Bishopbriggs on what remains of the Thomas Muir site. This will require having to share sports facilities with surrounding primaries.

Work started?

Work has started on a new entrance to the Thomas Muir site from Wester Cleddens Road.

No planning permission for the building of the new school has been passed as far as I am aware.

The current access is on the 'surplus' land.

What does that suggest?



View plan here on the council website

As you can see from the plans submitted to the council - site access should be opposite the existing Pentland Drive.

The School access remains as exists.

Strange the entrance has moved....