Renfrewshire Council

On this page:

• what the consultation was about
• background information
• how the consultation was run
• review of active travel provision
• privacy
• notice of correction

What the consultation was about

The new Dargavel primary school consultation covered two points: 

1. A proposal to establish a new primary school in Dargavel Village on an 8.5-acre site at the north end of Craigton Drive, 
2. A catchment review affecting Dargavel Primary School and the proposed new primary school to be built at Dargavel Village. 

It ran from Monday 29 January, and ended on Tuesday 26 March 2024. We published our final consultation report in May 2024, responding to issues raised through the consultation process. It includes Education Scotland's report and our response to the recommendations they made.

You can see the full details of this in  Education and Children's Services Board report 23 May 2024 - proposed new Dargavel primary school and statutory consultation [5MB]

This report was considered by councillors on the Education and Children's Services Policy Board on 23 May 2024. A summary of the recommendations they agreed is as follows:

• Work to procure, design and build a new 800-pupil primary school for August 2027 on the proposed site (Site E1, at the north end of Craigton Drive) should continue  
• The revised catchment areas proposed should take effect for the opening of the new school 
• Officers will work with the Dargavel community on a comprehensive plan to ensure ongoing community engagement during the design and planning of the new school 
• An integrated traffic and active travel plan will be produced as part of the new school design
• Work will continue to scope out a new drop-off and pick-up area on spare land next to the current Dargavel Primary School
• We will continue to engage with the community in an open and responsive way around future secondary school provision 

You can also see the responses given to our online survey by those who agreed we could make their comments public in  Dargavel proposed new primary school statutory consultation - Appendix J - survey analysis public only [2MB]

Background information for the Dargavel school consultation 

You can see below maps showing

• active travel routes and where the proposed site for the new school sits within planned future development in the area
• the current and proposed catchment areas.

See larger version of the map showing active travel routes for the proposed additional primary school in Dargavel (PDF) [1MB] .

See larger version of the current catchment map for Dargavel (PDF) [2MB]  and  larger version of the proposed catchment areas for the current and additional primary schools in Dargavel (PDF) [2MB] .

We have published our consultation on new primary school in Dargavel proposal paper [1MB] . This includes:

• the legal procedure for a public consultation over a new school 
• the reasoning behind our proposal, and the options we looked at when developing it 
• our educational benefits statement, which sets out how we expect our proposal to impact on pupils and the local community, and why we believe it will benefit them 
• the issues we considered when looking at possible sites for the new school
• a list of streets affected by the proposed changes to the catchment.

We have also published  feedback from pre-engagement consultation [1MB] . This includes:

• what people told us during our public survey and other engagement last year over how the proposed new school could be used
• a timeline for the construction of the new school (subject to the outcome of the consultation)
• the vision and objectives for the new school, and plans and images showing examples of how it might look
• a map of all the sites we considered for the new school, and analysis of how each of them was assessed and scored
• active travel and school access considerations

These documents were updated on 19 February 2024 as explained in  Correction Notice Dargavel Consultation [134KB] . 

The documents are available in other formats, such as a different language or accessible format. Email dargavel2consultation@renfrewshire.gov.uk to request another format. 

How the consultation was run 

At the start of the consultation we wrote to all statutory consultees (the people who we are required to consult) with a copy of the proposal paper. They included: 

• parent councils of affected schools (Dargavel, Bishopton, St John Bosco) 
• parents of pupils at those schools 
• parents of children we expect to attend the new school 
• staff and trade unions at the affected schools 
• elected members 
• the local community council and community planning partnership 
• community groups who use the existing Dargavel Primary School. 

We wanted as many people as possible from the local community to take part in the consultation and tried to create as many chances as possible for you to find out more about the proposal, ask questions, and tell us what you think. These included: 

• online and written feedback - including an online survey, which was widely promoted throughout the area
• four information sessions - these were a chance to meet the key officers involved in the project in an informal setting, and raise any issues 
• two public meetings - where we fed back on the issues you raise at the info sessions, discussed how these might be overcome, and took your questions on the proposal
• informal drop-ins - these allowed existing parents and carers at Dargavel and Bishopton Primaries to chat to senior officers and head teachers

All topics raised and questions asked online, in writing, and at the public meetings - and our answers - will be recorded and included in the final consultation report.

Data Protection and Freedom of Information

We needed your details for the purpose of collating responses to this consultation and they will be used for the purposes of the Council's public functions. The council may check your details with other information held and may share these with other council services and Education Scotland.

Consultation responses will be made publicly available on demand. If you would prefer your comments not to be made public please record this on your response.

Please note however, that the council may still be obliged to disclose your response, on request, due to the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 and so, is unable to guarantee confidentiality.

See further information on how the council handles your personal information.

Review of active travel provision

In January 2024, we appointed Stantec, experts in transport design and engineering, to carry out a review of levels of active travel provision in Dargavel Village. The review helped us understand traffic, transport and movement issues related to the existing Dargavel Primary School and the requirements to consider when planning for a new primary school. 

It concluded there is plenty of junction capacity to support a new primary school of 800 pupils in the proposed site location, and suggests different recommendations and options, rather than a prescribed list, we can consider to enhance active travel in the village. This will support us - working with the community - to progress options that, when combined, deliver the best solution for children and young people travelling to and from school and for other road users. 

The review also recommended improvements are introduced in phases. This will mean prioritising improvements such as a new drop-off and pick-up zone at Dargavel Primary School. Other steps will be introduced later, as the Western Link Road completes and during the construction and operation of the new primary school, due to open in August 2027. 

It involved examination of information about Dargavel Village, the current primary school and proposals to build a new school. This included:

• the Dargavel Village masterplan
• Western Link Road plans
• Dargavel Village Leisure Services Strategy
• Bishopton Park Transport Assessment Report
• the School Travel Plan.

Stantec also visited Dargavel Village to experience the design and flow of people and transport within the village and those leaving and arriving.

The consultant assessed pedestrian, cyclist and car movements, especially during school drop-off and pick-up times, and how this impacts capacity on the wider road network and at road junctions. This information was included in modelling to understand the future impact of a second primary school. The key review suggestions were shared during information sessions and public meetings that formed part of the statutory consultation and are included in supporting information online. 

Read the full  Dargavel development - review of active travel provision June 2024 [3MB]

Stantec provided a further analysis of active travel linked specifically to the site of the new school. This analysis was included in the final consultation report in May 2024.

Notice of correction in terms of s.5(5)(b) of the Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) ACT 2010 

Details of the correction are in the   Correction Notice Dargavel Consultation [134KB] .