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FORMER Rangers shareholders James and Sandy Easdale have raised concerns about capacity issues at a Catholic school which may scupper plans for a £100 million development they are behind.
A company owned by the tycoon brothers’, Advance Construction, has proposed major housing and community scheme at the site of the former IBM factory in Greenock.
They want the development to include 450 new homes but Inverclyde Council officials have currently only recommended the greenlight for 60% of the homes or 270.
A report to the local planning board has warned the nearby Catholic secondary, St Columba’s High School, where actor Martin Compston, went to school, is currently experiencing “some capacity issues”.
READ MORE: £100m Greenock scheme ‘in doubt’ over Catholic school size
Fears over the future of the development was raised on Monday by Inverclyde councillor Chris McEleny, from the Alba Party, who argued that rather than reduce the number of proposed homes, the council should increase the school’s size.
In a statement released to The National on behalf of both brothers, who also run McGill’s buses, Sandy Easdale said: “If it is true that the shortage of Catholic school places is a reason to stop houses being built, we are absolutely appalled. We will soon be embracing 2022 not 1922.
“What has happened to inclusion and religious tolerance in the West of Scotland? We are almost at Christmas and for political leaders and council employees to be bandying about ideas that will exacerbate the religious divide is unforgivable.”
The site at Spango Valley is currently subject to planning permission for housing, alongside areas of new employment, leisure, community and retail use.
Scots actor Martin Compston, pictured centre on the set of the BBC drama Vigil, is a former pupil of St Columba’s High School in Greenock.
The proposals also include a new Park and Ride facility adjacent to IBM train station, which would see the station reopened to the public, alongside areas of extensive greenspace, parkland and a network of new paths across the site.
A report to Inverclyde Planning Board by Inverclyde Council’s interim director of planning and regeneration said there were no objections to the development on education grounds, though the local Catholic high school had “some capacity issues”.
It said: “Education – No objections. It is advised that the development is within the catchment of St Columba’s High School, which is currently experiencing some capacity pressure.
“However, Education Services assessment, based on currently available information, is that the school estate will be able to accommodate additional pupils from this development in the future.”
The report added: “After careful consideration, the conclusion reached is therefore again that in order to protect its interests including realisation of the wider Spango Valley Priority Place development, and to take full cognisance of the potential impact on the capacity of the denominational secondary school, the council has to control, via condition, the number of residential units on the application site to the previously mentioned maximum figure of 270.”
The project, which first submitted its planning application in February 2020, represents a £100m investment in Inverclyde, with approximately 130 jobs created through the construction phase and a further 300 jobs upon completion.
Over the last 20 years Inverclyde has been pushing to attract people into the area.
The Inverclyde Council Planning Board will make a determination on the application in January.
McEleny said he was aware there has been resistance to the application from the council’s education authority due to the possibility that if approved, too many Catholics would live in the area that St Columba’s High School could support.
“I have real concerns that this £100m project could be scuppered at a time Inverclyde needs investment, jobs, and housing for young families,” he said.
“It is quite astounding the amount of Catholics moving to an area could still be a factor in determining a planning application in 2022. I truly hope this will not be a factor but it is certainly something officials have made clear is a concern to them.
“If we think there may be more members of the community that wish to send their children to Catholic schools then the council should be building a new primary school to service changing housing patterns and expanding the capacity of our high schools, we should never be making decisions based on limiting the number of people of a certain faith group that move to an area.”
An Inverclyde Council spokesman has previously said: “This is a planning application in principle and the reason for conditioning the number of houses is not being driven by schools capacity.
“The housing allocation for the whole site is 420 houses while the application under consideration for part of the site is just below 450 and therefore were it determined based on these figures it would be significantly contrary to the Local Development Plan.”
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