Calls for ‘urgent clarity’ on Dundee Western Gateway school as land sold

“Urgent clarity” is needed on the future of the promised Dundee Western Gateway school after land earmarked for it was sold.

Housing developer Springfield announced last month that it has signed an agreement with Barratt for the sale of 2,480 plots of undeveloped land.

Six sites across Scotland, all with planning consent, were sold in a deal worth £64.2m.

Included in this is the land earmarked for the Western Gateway primary school.

In an email sent from the developer to MSPs – seen by The Courier – it is detailed that the change of ownership does not change the obligations.

This means the land is still contracted to be transferred to Dundee City Council by Barratt as required.

The commercial terms of the transfer of the school land will be agreed between the local authority and Barratt.

Questions over when school will be built

However, the sale has raised more questions over when the school will actually be built.

It had been hoped the school would be open by August 2026.

But the plans were dealt a blow in October 2023 after Dundee City Council failed to secure government funding.

Council chiefs had applied to the Learning Estate Investment Programme in the hope it would cover around half of the £21.8 million cost.

A council report published last year reiterated their commitment to the school but revealed the price tag had since soared to £25m.

Approximately £4m will be funded by developer contributions with the balance being met from borrowing for the project.

However, the report revealed the project’s first round of funding, a sum of £7.5m, is not scheduled until 2026/27 – with the rest earmarked for 2027/28.

Residents ‘waited almost a decade’

In light of the news of the land sale, Scottish Labour MSP Michael Marra is calling for greater clarity on the school’s future.

He said: “The latest development in this saga is hugely frustrating for families in the Western Gateway.

“The council must show leadership and provide urgent clarity to the community on when they can expect a school to be built.

“Any further delays will be unacceptable to residents, who have now waited almost a decade for a school.”

A Dundee City Council spokesperson said: “We understand that the change will create uncertainty within the community, but do not envisage any change to the proposed location of the school.

“The council will engage with both developers about delivery of the school and timing. As we have previously highlighted, delivery of the school requires servicing of the site to be carried out by the developer prior to the school being built.

“At the present time we do not envisage that there is a threat that the S75 payments will be clawed back by the developer, though we recognise that this is beyond our control.

“We will provide updates on progress as the position develops.”