PLANS for a new £77.5 million school and leisure activity centre have been unanimously approved.
Clackmannanshire’s well-being hub and Lochies School project was backed by planning committee councillors on Thursday despite push back from local community councillors and residents.
The project will combine a community health and leisure centre with a new Lochies School at the Pavilions site in Alloa West, and it will restore swimming pools to Clackmannanshire – something that has been missing since the Alloa Leisure Bowl closed four years ago.
It will also contain sport and leisure facilities for the entire community.
“We’ve looked at this in and around, and the planning department has been quite thorough in its investigation of the policy requirements,” committee convener Denis Coyne (Conservative for Clackmannanshire East) said.
“The council is committed to the project, the site has been examined and a plan has been developed and trace seems to be there. So I cannot see any reason not to support this paper.”
Although the decision to approve the new hub and school proposals was unanimous, community councils and other local residents will not all be happy about the outcome.
One of the biggest concerns was the proposed location of the new school and hub.
The objection from Alloa Community Council argued that most of the Clackmannanshire communities will be unable to reach the hub within 20 minutes without a car.
The Alva community council did not object to the plans, but nonetheless shared these same concerns.
“While broadly, we support the building of a new wellbeing hub, with a swimming pool, and the location to be situated in Alloa, there are some concerns which should be addressed,” their letter said.
To combat these concerns, one of the approved planning conditions will force council developers to deliver a bus service that would connect the site to Alloa Town Centre before the hub is opened to the public.
“This condition will ensure that we as a council are committed to delivering that public transport solution,” planning officers said.
“The detail of that will need to be worked through and we need to make sure it fits with the wider public transport provision within Clackmannanshire – and that’s affordable and sustainable – but I think it’s in the interest of the public to be able to access this facility and in the interests of the council for the financial sustainability of facility.”
Planners continued: “This facility is for everyone. It’s a highly inclusive facility by its design, and we understand transport is a key part of that accessibility. Getting people from town centre to the site is critical and it’s something we’re absolutely committed to delivering.”
After more than an hour of questioning the plans, Coyne and Councillor Jane McTaggart (SNP for Clackmannanshire Central) moved to grant planning permission for the facility.
Other councillors followed their lead, including Councillor Kenneth Earle (Labour for Clackmannanshire South) .
“My concerns have always been around the transport issue and how we get people from A to B,” he said.
“I’m happy a transport policy will be enacted, I’m not so sure about how it’s going to be continued but I’m aware that that is something that will be monitored by the applicant, in this case the council.”
He continued: “I wish it could be done on [the current] site, I see the reasons against it and I’d be happy to accept this stage – it doesn’t mean to say I’m happy to go with the plan.
“As far as this stage of the process is concerned, we have to look at this planning application here – does it meet the policy? Does it tick all the boxes? In this case, the answer is yes.”
After the debate, a vote was taken by show of hands, and councillors unanimously agreed to give the new well-being hub and Lochies School project planning permission to move ahead.
