Councillors in Dundee have approved plans for a “super-sized” primary school in the north of the city.
Construction work on the campus on land to the north of Lothian Crescent in Whitfield will begin in April with the school projected to open its doors to pupils in August next year.
The complex will replace Longhaugh Primary School and Longhaugh Nursery, St Luke’s and St Matthew’s RC Primary School and St Vincent’s RC Primary.
In total there will be space for 868 primary pupils and 125 full-time equivalent nursery pupils.
The combined roll of nearly 1,000 would make it one of the biggest primary schools in Scotland.
However, rather than one giant primary school the development will create space for two separate schools operating alongside but independently from one another.
Longhaugh Primary School will continue as its own entity while St Vincent’s and St Luke’s and St Matthew’s will merge.
Councillors granted consent to build the school at a meeting of the Dundee City Development Management Committee on Monday night.
Finance convener Willie Sawers said: “I am very pleased this is going forward.
“It is a major investment in the north of the city and will be transformative for both nursery and primary schoolchildren in the area.”
Labour councillor Lesley Brennan said she had concerns about the potential impact on traffic caused by parents dropping their children off at school but her claims it could cause traffic chaos were angrily rebutted by SNP councillors.
Gregor Murray said: “We’re building a campus of three schools: two primary schools and a nursery with their own rules and headteachers
“We won’t have 1,000 children being dropped off at the same time.”
Children and families services convener Stewart Hunter added: “This is not the first time we’ve built a campus school.
“We’re not cost-cutting, we’re putting investment into city schools.
“I think it’s disgraceful that in a meeting that is supposed to be quasi-judicial members are making political points.”
Labour group education spokesman Laurie Bidwell’s amendments calling for the promotion of active travel to and from the school were accepted.
He said: “Starting from the premise that this will be the largest primary school and nursery school campus in our city with more children attending than the current rolls of three of our secondary schools, including Braeview Academy in Whitfield, I think promoting Active Travel to school will be especially important.”
The committee also voted to defer a decision on a proposal to build two car dealerships and a football pitch for Lochee Harp on group at Lundie Avenue and King’s Cross Road over concerns about the impact on traffic and biodiversity in the area.
Councillors voted for Bailie Ian Borthwick’s amendment to defer a decision until the developers could address these concerns by 18 to seven.
