The cost of a new primary school at the South Stirling Gateway development on the edge of Bannockburn is estimated at £13.93m.
Councillors approved the inclusion of the school, a key piece of the development’s infrastructure, in a future capital programme at last week’s meeting of Stirling Council.
Officials will also now enter into an S75 agreement with developers ‘to ensure the delivery of a new primary school and other associated infrastructure requirements at South Stirling Gateway’.
South Stirling Gateway S75 negotiations have been completed, and a draft document prepared.
A minded to grant planning permission for South Stirling Gateway, comprising up to 800 homes, was agreed in June 2020 subject to the signing of an appropriate S75 agreement to secure infrastructure requirements.
In a paper put before councillors last Thursday, head of service infrastructure Drew Leslie said: “The overall development cost for the primary school at South Stirling Gateway is assessed at £13.96m, over 11 years.
“This comprises the initial seven-classroom primary school and a four-classroom extension at the latter stage of the development.
“Developer contributions, as identified in Stirling Council’s Draft Supplementary Guidance for Developer Contributions, are assessed to be £6.856m.”
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Project and development costs, not subject to developer contributions, are currently assessed as £7.1m to deliver the scheme in full.
Councillors were also told that, ‘although not directly associated with the recommendations within this report’ an assessment of the likely revenue cost of the proposed school development had been carried out.
Mr Leslie said: “An assumption on management and staff costs, infrastructure costs and facilities management costs, has identified an annual operating cost for the school of £930k commencing in year 2025/26.”
As well as the primary school, South Stirling Gateway infrastructure requiring Stirling Council capital investment includes secondary school facilities, works at the Pirnhall roundabout and city transport works.
Several aspects of the proposed development are not part of developer contributions.
These include affordable housing provision (25% of the overall development).
Mr Leslie added: “The Draft Supplementary Guidance on developer contributions confirms that no contributions are expected from affordable housing units. This means that the council requires to fund the gap in developer contribution.”
