By April Mitchinson

Residents living near the site of the £15 million replacement for Kingspark special school in Dundee yesterday said they were forced to rely on The Courier for information after Dundee City Council kept them in the dark.

Concerns were raised over the flow of information and the way the council undertakes public consultations by residents, who claim they heard of the authority’s plan to change the school’s main access route from reporters.

They are now “deeply distrustful” of the council and have accused the education committee of having a secret agenda.

The criticism comes after approval for construction of the new school was given by the city council’s education committee on Monday night, despite an impassioned plea and repeated objections by locals over traffic access.

“Last night was not a victory for democracy but a victory for bureaucracy,” said James Tinney of Kingspark local implementation group.

“The school is a good thing and there was never any opposition from residents, but the concern has always been expressed about the access routes. Johnston Avenue is a rat run.”

The group was given just seven minutes to speak in opposition of education department plans to grant access to the school from Johnston Avenue via Glenaffric Terrace rather than Glentruim Terrace as originally discussed or Clepington Road as preferred by residents.

The first the residents had heard of the council’s plan to change the major access route was after a newspaper report late last week.

Though residents had been in general agreement about the planned school in the area of the Balfield playing fields behind St John’s High, concern had resolutely been expressed over the location of the main access route.

Despite 81 of 83 local residents signing a petition in opposition to the council plan, the committee approved main access/egress to the school from Johnston Avenue via Glenaffric Terrace.

It was also decided that Glentruim Terrace be used only as an access/egress point for cleansing vehicles and emergency services. The motion to approve the report was carried by 17 votes to 13.

“It makes a mockery of the council and makes me distrust them immensely. Everything we have found out about so far we’ve had to do so through the paper,” Mr Tinney’s wife Patricia said.

Chief executive Alex Stephen acknowledged it was clear the residents wanted Clepington Road to be used for access, but said it was not as safe as the recommended option.

He said there were also significant cost implications, as using Clepington Road would require more than £1 million of expenditure on top of the £15 million built into the capital plan for the project.

“When residents first proposed access via Clepington Road we were told it would cost around £100,000; then they undertook a traffic management assessment and the figure all of a sudden rose to £0.25 million. I believe the council has just plucked that figure out of the air,” Mr Tinney said.

Mr Tinney said he believed that the council had a secret agenda for approving access from Johnston Avenue via Glenaffric Terrace.

He claimed Clepington Road was a safer option as it had a turning bay, was wider than Johnston Avenue, and had approximately three football fields worth of free space in front of the site of the new school.

He said access to the school via Clepington Road also meant drivers had to perform fewer right hand turns, a manoeuvre police claim significantly increases the likelihood of an accident.

“The council has moved the location of the school back from where it was originally proposed. There is now enough space from Clepington Road to the school for three football fields,” Mr Tinney said.

“I don’t know what they plan to do with that space or why they moved the school back, I think there is some kind of secret agenda that we are not privy to.”

The new 125-pupil school, due for completion in 2009-10, will replace the existing Kingspark special school in Gillburn Road that caters for severely disabled and autistic children.

A council education department spokesman said, “The city council has held a series of meetings with local residents this year regarding the plans to site the new Kingspark School at the Balfield playing fields.

“A number of entrance and exit options, including Glenaffric Terrace, were discussed in detail earlier this year with residents’ representatives.

“It was explained that all these options could be possible as the plans progressed.

“Residents also made a presentation to Kingspark Project Board last month giving their views on access issues.

“When the report to the education committee was released publicly last week, the education department made sure that residents’ representatives received a copy.

“An official from the education department also visited Mr Tinney, as a residents’ representative, to go over the report with him in detail.

“The education department will continue to work with local residents in the future as the project develops.”