Primary School Could Be Home To Council Houses

The site of Tanshall Primary school could be used for council housing.

The site, which will become vacant in the summer, is being considered as part of a wider review on social housing.

Fife Council handed out letters, detailing the possible move, to children to take home to their parents yesterday.

The school is one of seven to shut in the primary - because it was underused in the Glenrothes area.

Alan Russell, Senior Manager for Housing Condition & Supply said: “In line with existing processes, we will now investigate whether the site would be suitable to build housing on or not. Once we have examined the details, and if we think it might work, we will hold an information event with the local community to help finalise plans before submitting a planning application.

“If the site is feasible, we want to reassure parents that work would not begin until after the school has closed in July.”

There is a shortfall in social housing in Glenrothes. Cllr Altany Craik, Chair of the Glenrothes Area Committee explained: “We need to build over 600 homes for rent in Glenrothes to meet local needs. This site could go some way to meeting that target and I look forward to seeing proposals that I can discuss with my constituents.”

Councillor Judy Hamilton, Executive Spokesperson for Housing and Building Services, added: “Our Affordable Housing Programme has already delivered over 800 new homes with another 589 on site but we still have 1400 to go to reach our target of 2700 by 2017.

“We need to look at every opportunity available to us to deliver more council houses and the council’s School Estate Review may provide some opportunities to prevent the land from becoming disused. We have already converted the former Bell Baxter High School site in Cupar into a housing development and there are proposals in development to convert the former Burntisland primary School into housing too. It may be that following investigations this site might also help us to house more people in housing need in Glenrothes.”