The consultation process over the possible closure of Corrie Primary School should be abandoned now.Until it can be seen what impact new homes planned for Corrie will have on the school roll, North Ayrshire Council should not contemplate closure, said Reverend Angus Adamson at a meeting in Corrie and Sannox Hall on Wednesday evening.
This week an application to build 18 houses at Corrie was submitted to NAC’s planning department.
At the meeting were NAC’s Carol Kirk, director of education, Jim Leckie, head of education services, and Councillor John Bell, chairman of the school review group.
NAC proposes to close the school because of projected falling numbers, and sending the pupils to Brodick Primary. NAC has the school’s capacity at 50. There are 13 pupils with a further 12 in the nursery. The consultation ends in March with a possible decision in April.
Jim Leckie said school roll statistics were based on a census of pupils taken each September with other factors such as approved housing plans taken into account. This included the 100 houses planned for Brodick and Corrie in the Craigforth Report.
Mr Leckie said the projected school roll for Corrie for 2018 was seven. The current roll at Brodick PS was 74 out of a 119 capacity. Its roll was also expected to fall in 2018, to 67.
‘We have to take into account the statistics that are there,’ he told the meeting.
He said even if the new houses were family houses it did not follow that people living in them would have children.
All over North Ayrshire school rolls were falling and it was imperative the council followed best value so that all pupils received the best possible education.
But Reverend Angus Adamson said NAC was grossly under-estimating the projection of children for the houses planned for Corrie.
‘This consultation should be abandoned now,’ he said. ‘Whatever happens the school should remain open until we see what happens when these houses are built and families move into the area.’
Jim Lees told them that Lochranza had ‘died’ when its school closed and Corrie could also die. Lochranza is now mainly elderly people and holiday homes,’ he said. ‘I think if Corrie school disappears it will mean no big village at the northend.’
During the meeting, attended by about 80 people, a short film was shown of pupils at the school taking part in various activities and saying why they did not want it to close.
Isla Blair questioned the maxium roll of 50 which she said made the school look well under capacity.
Villagers said having an excellent education was not the only thing children acquired at the school. They also learnt the values of living within a community with people of all ages.
‘The worst case scenario for that school would be 50,’ she said. ‘Where would you put them? I feel you are having the consultation period after the decision has been taken.’
Ms Kirk urged islanders to send in written views to the council about the closure proposal to close the school, particularly their comments put forward at the meeting.
