Our Response

This was the Parent Council’s Response letter during the Formal Consultations.

Corporate Director
Neighbourhood Services (North)
Balgownie 1
Conference Way
Bridge of Don
ABERDEEN
AB23 8AQ

Date: 01 December 2008

Subject: Public Consultation Response

Dear Mr Tomlinson
 
PROPOSAL TO REPLACE BUCKSBURN AND NEWHILLS SCHOOLS WITH A NEW SCHOOL
 
Here is the Bucksburn School Parent Council’s response to your consultation on the above.  We gathered together our parents’ views and summarised them in the attached letter.  This letter was sent to all parents allowing them the option of sending it to yourself and local councillors or taking the time to write their own correspondence.
 
With regards to the summary of report dated 2/9/08 detailed in your consultation document it would appear to us that the decision to retain Stoneywood School is a political and not financial decision.
 
Every advantage noted for retaining Stoneywood would apply to Bucksburn School also.  It has been made quite clear to us that the council are not in favour of refurbishing Bucksburn and Newhills Schools so why would they consider refurbishing Stoneywood?  If Stoneywood is not refurbished, then in the future this building would deteriorate to a Grade C category also.  What would then be proposed by the council, as the new build would not be able to accommodate any extra children?
 
Rezoning the catchment areas in order to sustain Stoneywood supports your preferred decision to site a new school at Newhills.  Consider the effects of this if Stoneywood faces closure in the future.  It is quite a distance for children from the proposed Mugiemoss Housing Estate to travel to Newhills.
 
With regards to the Bucksburn site, your plans in the consultation document completely omit the Bucksburn play park and field and the allotment gardens situated above this.  This is a large area which we believe has been earmarked for “strategic housing”.  This area could accommodate a new school with drop-off points.  I have included a plan of the area with one possible utilisation of the land in this respect. The current nursery site could also be utilised with drop-off points being accessed from Howes Road. 
 
We have been in contact with the Land Registry of Scotland and are led to believe, although awaiting confirmation, that this land was gifted to the City for ‘the benefit of the children of Bucksburn’ – nothing could be considered of more benefit to the children than a school. Of course this land could not be sold for housing in future, something the strategic planning committee may wish to investigate further. We will of course share any information we receive from the Land Registry with ACC. Should it indeed be the case that the school and adjacent land are for this use then the knock on effect of using the sale of the land to finance future projects would also be questionable. If there is land there to be used for a school then why not use it?
 
The council have projected current vehicle use when considering the effects of congestion at Newhills but we feel that there would actually be an increase in those travelling to school by car, not least because of the uphill status of Newhills. While we are aware that should a new school be placed on the Bucksburn site there may be more children by numbers having to walk further, they could do so downhill and via the Howes Road – already closed to traffic. This would keep all walking children from Newhills well away from the A96 while still being able to utilise a main road for car traffic dropping the children at school. The plan included also shows how the creation of a one way ‘service’ road could also be of benefit to the various businesses and houses that are based on the A96, helping keep traffic moving through our area, congestion is reduced and our children are safer.

We ask that you do not rush into any decisions and that all options are considered.  It may be that in the long term a new school at both Bucksburn and Newhills may be the better option for the whole of the communities.

We are aware that many of our parents have been in contact with you directly with their concerns over the plans and we ask that our views are given the utmost priority and importance. The investment in our children’s futures is to be dictated solely on financial and political decisions.

Yours truly,

William Fagan
(Secretary – Bucksburn Parent Council)