Published: Thursday, 10th December, 2009 10:46am

School plan gets green light

Councillors have backed a plan which will see a new-look Cardenden Primary School take shape.

Fife Council's education service asked Cowdenbeath Area Committee for consent to partly demolish the building, which is situated off Carden Avenue and the construction of a new extension to allow the school to re-open.

Pupils and staff of Cardenden Primary School have been sharing Denend Primary during 2009 after the building was found to have structural defects.

Last Wednesday's meeting of the Area Committee heard that the plan was to partly demolish the building and construct a single storey wrap around extension.

Said planner Angus Dodds in a report to the committee, "The proposals have come forward as a consequence of structural imperfections in the building that was designed and built in the late 1950s.

"Council engineers became aware of excess deflection within the first floor slab construction of the two storey wing of the building that is to be demolished under these proposals.

"Robust testing of the wing took place before a decision was taken to submit a new planning application when it became clear that the problem could not be solved economically through an engineering solution."

He added, "While the application will involve a slight uplift in the overall footprint of the school when compared with its original lay-out the proposals do not equate to a large extension.

"For all intent and purposes Cardenden Primary School will continue to have the same capacity, albeit to replace the wing with a single storey extension has afforded the opportunity to partially refurbish the school and enhance the spaces within it."

Mr Dodds added, "The design of the extension is considered to enhance the existing school building and the work will introduce an element of uniformity to the overall school by wrapping a single storey around all of the disparite elements that make up the current school."

Local councillor Ian Chisholm welcomed the report. "This is good news for Cardenden and I look forward to seeing the new look Primary School emerging," he said.

"I am, however, a little concerned about the parking provision in the vicinity of the current school and would like to see additional spaces provided."

The committee unanimously agreed to back the application.