Fife Council’s executive committee has voted by a majority to proceed with a controversial proposal to close Pitcorthie Primary School in Dunfermline from August next year.
The committee has also agreed by a majority to rezone parts of the Masterton, Canmore and Pitreavie Primary School catchment areas from August this year.
The decisions have been taken as part of the school estate review by Fife Council education directorate designed to make it more efficient and sustainable.
With almost 100% opposition to the Pitcorthie closure proposal from parents and pupils, the decision has been one of the most contentious so far.
Labour Fife councillor, Dunfermline MSP and mother Cara Hilton was given permission to speak at the committee.
She paid tribute to the “fantastic work” of the Save Pitcorthie campaign group and made an impassioned plea for a decision on the school to be delayed until more information was known about proposed house building in the area.
Mrs Hilton said the school was at the heart of and an asset to Abbeyview, described as one of the most deprived parts of Dunfermline.
She said closing Pitcorthie would be “extremely short sighted”.
The school is at 96% capacity, she added, and could “easily be brought back up to scratch”.
Education official Shelagh Maclean said proposed house building had already been taken into consideration.
She said a structural fault in the Stahlton concrete design had been identified in the Pitcorthie building in 2010 and was being monitored every six months.
While it had not deteriorated markedly in that time, weight limits had been introduced on upper floors. To repair the school and decant pupils would cost £3 million, she said.
With limited resources, the council service could not recommend this option.Dunfermline councillor Brian Goodall, seconded by Neale Hanvey, moved that the school could be saved.
He said the latest monitoring reports showed there is no concern regarding the safety of any users of the building. He said no educational case has been made for the closure of the school.
Councillor Bryan Poole, seconded by Councillor Mark Hood, successfully moved closure by 13 votes to four.