Site selection process underway for the new Grammar School

[Kintyre Forum News]

News release from Argyll & Bute Council with regards possible sites for the new Grammar School - should get some debate going.

Site selection process underway for the new Campbeltown Grammar School

The process for selecting a site for the new Campbeltown Grammar School has been agreed by Argyll and Bute Council today. (Thu 20 September) There is now a list of potential sites for the building and clear criteria for making sure the best site or sites are put forward for approval by the council and for public consultation.

The first step now will be for the project team to apply the agreed criteria to eleven potential locations before producing a preferred site or sites. The list of sites was produced after consultation with councillors and more feedback was taken on board after a master planning event where Argyll Community Housing Association (ACHA), Strathclyde Fire and Rescue, Argyll and the Isles enterprise, Argyll College and local businesses had their say. The eleven sites are:

Existing Campbeltown Grammar School site and playing fields
Dalintober Primary School and adjacent land
Current superstore site and adjacent car park
Combined site of superstore, adjacent car park and Kinloch Park
The Meadows playing fields
Combined site of Meadows playing fields and ground adjacent to Campbeltown Hospital
Kinloch Park
Recreation ground adjacent to Campbeltown Hospital
St. Kieran’s and Castlehill Primary Schools ( including nursery and community centre)
Witchburn Road council offices
The Roadings

In the interests of openness, all possible sites are included above but there are already issues with a number of them that may well make them unsuitable.

The project team will now look at a number of factors including educational benefit, community access and affordability of each site and deliverability of the project on each site. After the project team has applied the agreed criteria, the preferred site or sites will be taken forward for public consultation and the results will be reported to the council on 24 January 2013.

Lead Councillor for Education and Lifelong Learning, Michael Breslin said, “The consultation process will make detailed information on the preferred site or sites available for local people to consider which is most appropriate. The results of the consultation will contribute to the final decision made by the council. More details about the public consultation will be made soon and I would ask as many people as possible to have their say in what will be a significant development for Campbeltown.

“I firmly believe this is an exciting and important investment in the future of education for children in Campbeltown and for future generations.”

[Tartan Seer]

Looking at this list my original view has been confirmed - the only viable site in terms of cost, access and minimising disruption is CGS.
Surprised though that no consideration was given to the white elephant call centre at Snipefield.

[Ship called Dignity]

Might as well kick off a bit of debate on this to see what others think.

Existing Campbeltown Grammar School site and playing fields Never liked the position of the current school and access is terrible but can see the logic as huge site and probably could offer the best option.

Dalintober Primary School and adjacent land Poor site for a secondary school

Current superstore site and adjacent car park Imagine this is Tescos but there move fell through so not sure why its even listed.

Combined site of superstore, adjacent car park and Kinloch Park As above

The Meadows playing fields The Meadows Playing Field is one of very few Millennium Playing Fields in the UK meaning it is protected from building on it as its purpose is recreational.

Combined site of Meadows playing fields and ground adjacent to Campbeltown Hospital As above and Campbeltown Hospital ground is known as the lower school playing field and soil tests for the AWP showed you would be better building in the middle of Campbeltown Loch!

Kinloch Park While a great facility the AWP has put a dent in our green space on Kinloch Green so hands off the green!

Recreation ground adjacent to Campbeltown Hospital As bove

St. Kieran’s and Castlehill Primary Schools ( including nursery and community centre) Actually think this is quite a good site - we've too many old buildings in Campbeltown not fit for purpose and lying empty and quite a large site.

Witchburn Road council offices I'm sure the staff there would be happy to move Where do they put the playing parks etc?

The Roadings[/list] Wunner where this is, Roadings? Not allowed to build anything within a certain radius of the Gas Works but a Secondary School seems a good idea!

[russanros]

Totally agree with what said so far, the only possible bad thing about present CGS is disruption to existing pupils?
- could the access not be improved whilst rebuilding?

[MPR]

when its all decided, lets not use the same design group that suggested that abomination at the top of the longrow.....

[gizmo]

Hopefully we wont be using the same crowd that designed the current school.
Sticking it on the top of a hill so your head was sore from the occasional rain.
Designing it so that the windows blew in if it was a bit draughty.
Not to mention needing to knock the bugger down after 40 years.

[tarmmaker]

I reckon The Roadings site is the old Jaegar factory, but it looks so small since the factory was demolished.

[Mr.Everready]

Out of those listed I think the current site is the only one suitable.

[loki]

Has this decisional ready been taken and it's to be Kinloch Green? If they build it on the only other sensible site, the existing school playing fields, they'll have to build the school's own sports facilties like they did at Lochgilphead (the ones you drive past every time you go up the road) and all the other new schools in Argyll. So, the question is, has the Kinloch Green site actually already been chosen so that Campbeltown Grammar only gets the one all-weather pitch that's already down there and not similar facilities to the other new schools?

[muppetanimal]

The two superstore sites could include firstly the Co-Op and secondly Tescos. Kinloch Green if memory serves me right can only be developed for recreational purposes, although the pumping station proves that some things can be ignored if the Council so decides.

So I will throw this one into the discussion .... a disused, deteriorating, large and fairly ugly old building known as the former Police Station at Castlehill. If Catlehill PS and St. Kierans (former)PS are on the list why not go the whole hog and tidy up this whole area of the town ....... personally I wouldn't miss the dowdy features of the Community Centre either.

[Mzz pasico]

I was a pupil of the old Grammar, leaving school the year the "new perched on the hill one opened". Personally, I think it would be ideal to return the "Grammar" to the Community Centre/ Castlehill site! Anyone agree?

[MPR]

agree....Plenty of room there and Im sure with some thought put into it a safe drop off pick up area could be organized

[maxmix]

This just goes to show, even proposing these sites below that no one has a clue whats going on....

Heavens knows this this fiasco will go ! A bit like a 1st floor swimming pool no doubt

maxmix

PS I wonder how much wages the person gets a year that decides these things

I'd have your P45 in the post

Might as well kick off a bit of debate on this to see what others think.

Existing Campbeltown Grammar School site and playing fields Never liked the position of the current school and access is terrible but can see the logic as huge site and probably could offer the best option.

Dalintober Primary School and adjacent land Poor site for a secondary school

Current superstore site and adjacent car park Imagine this is Tescos but there move fell through so not sure why its even listed.

Combined site of superstore, adjacent car park and Kinloch Park As above

The Meadows playing fields The Meadows Playing Field is one of very few Millennium Playing Fields in the UK meaning it is protected from building on it as its purpose is recreational.

Combined site of Meadows playing fields and ground adjacent to Campbeltown Hospital As above and Campbeltown Hospital ground is known as the lower school playing field and soil tests for the AWP showed you would be better building in the middle of Campbeltown Loch!

Kinloch Park While a great facility the AWP has put a dent in our green space on Kinloch Green so hands off the green!

Recreation ground adjacent to Campbeltown Hospital As bove

St. Kieran’s and Castlehill Primary Schools ( including nursery and community centre) Actually think this is quite a good site - we've too many old buildings in Campbeltown not fit for purpose and lying empty and quite a large site.

Witchburn Road council offices I'm sure the staff there would be happy to move Where do they put the playing parks etc?

The Roadings[/list] Wunner where this is, Roadings? Not allowed to build anything within a certain radius of the Gas Works but a Secondary School seems a good idea!

[MPR]

Mabe they could have built it on aqua ave, instead of houses, close to the green the new pitch and the pool library etc