| The comments from Councillors Tim Brett, who represents Newport and Wormit, and Tayport member Maggie Taylor, have, however, also expressed concern that the plan is being linked to housing proposals in Fife Council’s somewhat controversial draft local and structure plans.
Residents in the area are up in arms about allocation of land for hundreds of new houses in the local plan period up to 2016 and beyond, and at a series of public meetings it became clear that people are not only concerned about education, but about pressure on other services such as health and transportation.
It is strongly felt in the area that provision of any new secondary school should not be conditional on new homes being provided, and that there is an existing need for the facility.
Councillor Brett said the case for a new school had been argued for some time, but the recent decision of the council’s children’s services committee was another step towards achieving the goal.
“We are aware Fife Council is linking this to the proposals in the draft structure plan and the East Fife local plan,” he said.
“This is a matter of concern, given the scale of housing developments that are proposed, but using the criteria which Fife Council has consulted on — that there should be an improved learning environment and that schools should be at the heart of their local community.
“A new school in North East Fife is clearly justified and this would also provide much needed facilities for other community services which do not exist at the present,” he said. |
