A pair of additional classrooms are to be built at a school in one of Fife’s fastest growing areas.
Concerns have been raised about capacity at Masterton Primary School in Dunfermline’s eastern expansion as developers continue to build new homes.
Last year, as plans were approved for 240 new homes on land next to Lapwing Drive, one objector said more than two additional classrooms would be required as families move into the area.
Education officers had predicted four additional classrooms would be needed at Masterton but this was later halved.
With work ready to start on the extension, local Liberal Democrat councillor James Calder said the scaled down plans were “cutting it a bit fine”.
He said “My concern is that it won’t be enough, based on previous history.
“I have always had my concerns when it comes to the eastern expansion and sufficient school capacity.
“The council has consistently not been able to project the number of pupils that will be attending Masterton.
“I think the council should be looking at this very carefully and ensuring that there will be contingency space and not just what they think will be there.
“When it comes to capacity, we can’t have the same issue being repeated over and over again.”
Fife Council approved plans for the work just before Christmas.
Councillor Fay Sinclair, the SNP convener of the council’s education and children’s services committee, said: “Pupil roll projections have been modified to ensure they accurately reflect the numbers of children in the eastern expansion area.
“This is checked annually through the school census so officers are confident that the formula used does match the number of new pupils coming into the area.
“I’m pleased that planning permission has been granted for the extension at Masteron Primary School.
“With so many new houses being built, and the area being popular with young families, it is really important to make sure there are enough school places, and that the capital costs are picked up by the housing developers.”
The work will involve building a single storey extension on to the existing school in Aberdour Road and relocating a metal mesh fence enclosing the school garden area.
Minor alterations will need to be carried out to the existing building to accommodate the extension, which includes two classrooms, storage, cloakroom, kitchens, toilets and break out area.
