Children and families service convener Stewart Hunter has launched a scathing attack on comments made by Councillor Laurie Bidwell regarding potential school overcrowding.
Councillor Bidwell warned that plans for new schools need to be made now in order to avoid a school places crisis in the next few years, when a number of housing developments are due to be completed in Dundee.
Kirkwood Homes, who are planning to build 150 new homes in Broughty Ferry have also offered to contribute towards any schools that would need to be built in the area due to the expansion.
But Mr Hunter this week said that no new schools would be needed and that Mr Bidwell’s comments were “false.”
He explained: “Councillor Bidwell’s comments are factually incorrect and, to make matters worse, he knows they are false because he and I have discussed this issue on several occasions.
“There are no issues for Dundee pupils attending their catchment schools.
“Our schools have more than enough capacity to take every single pupil in their catchment area.
“Even with all the potential housing developments that are either in the process of being built or have been proposed this will not change.
Mr Hunter explained that in the future, it is likely there will be less scope for pupils to attend schools outside of their catchment area.
He added: “While I accept for those parents that would be disappointing this ultimately will be a good thing for our schools.
“What would really help our schools would be if Councillor Bidwell stopped making stuff up, deal with facts and try and make a positive contribution to the debate.
“However, experience tells me Councillor Bidwell has no interest in doing that.”
Councillor Bidwell responded by saying there has been rising demand for places at Grove Acadmy in his ward, and that with large-scale developments, the queues are likely to “lengthen”.
He added: “It wouldn’t take many more large scale housing developments in The Ferry to tip the balance.”
“In the case of the planning application for the Scottish Water depot beside Clatto reservoir it is clear that the site has been rezoned to Ardler Primary School.
“But many parents and carers living in the new development will want to send their children to Craigowl Primary School which is considerably closer to home than Ardler and will be more safely accessed by their children walking to school.
“There are a number of new housing developments in the Strathmartine Ward and Councillor Hunter seems to be unaware of these and their potential impact on future demand for school places.”
