New AHS

[Silvercloud]

Hi,

Couple of questions if anyone knows.

If the new AHS is built on land behind the Clickimin that wouldn't get planning permission for anything else, eg housing or industry what is going to happen to the old AHS land ?

Would this get sold off as a potential giant housing estate thus lining the council pockets or are there other plans for this land?

I don't know anywhere else in Lerwick that would free up land for the council to sell off so easily?

[shetlander]

As far as I know no decisions have been made about what the existing site will be used for but redeveloping it for a mix of private and social housing would be the way to go in my opinion. There was speak a few years ago about either a replacement Shetland College or Bells Brae School going there but after they shell out for the new AHS I suspect the days of the council having money to spend on aspirational capital projects are gone. Given that the old Bruce and Janet Courtney Hostels and the original AEI buildings are listed, it’d be unlikely they’d be able to be demolished (and I think it would be a shame if the land in front of them was built on) but I reckon their conversion to flats with some new build behind could work.

[trowie246]

The existing AHS site as it stands has to be used for educational purposes, so there are title burdens on it.

[Carlos]

Is that the original school site only, or the entire footprint now?

 

The site for the new hospital will likely be getting narrowed down by the time the current AHS is no longer used, so that'll no doubt be one option.

[Silvercloud]

Hi,

 

If the new hospital goes where the old AHS is now this will free up land at the old GBH to be sold off for housing and the NHS would be buying the land from the council at the knab.

 

I personally still feel uncomfortable to be having the new AHS on the campsite, what I think is just to free up any potential land and we also loose a campsite in Lerwick which tourists need. I also think the school in that area will also spoil the whole look of that particular area.

 

Is it really so out of the realms of possibility to be building the new AHS on the old site or is there some other reason more to the point which now made the council change their mind from their original decision to build on the old site.

 

How could you get planning permission on a site such as the campsite that you probably would not get planning permission for any other development ?

 

Unless it is to benefit the council is some way ?

[Silvercloud]

How about the council be honest, and print all the pro's and con's for both sites and ballot the whole of Shetland to find out the opinion of the people, instead of just listening to people who can turn up to consultation days/evenings.

 

That way they would get a better idea of what people of Shetland would prefer with such an important decision to be made which everyone will have to look at for years to come.

[fusion]

id suggest they build the new AHS at clickimin as planned, the old site could be refurbished and made into a new bells brae school/sound school one school for lerwick. because the old ahs was empty they can erfurbish to the standard necessery for a building of its stature. the joining bits could be built new. I inderstand that the ABC blocks are done so they could knock them down and build new bits there. but the PE department is fine and may be able to stay. then redevelope the two old school sites. sound school could be a great retirment home where bellsbrae could be offices if we still need them. or knock the lot down and build housing or other comunity developments.

 

What i would do at the new school is to have the libuary situated in a part of the school where the general public can get accses to it. What im saying is not to have a school libuary as such, but have the public libuary at the school where it is access to all. Thus shairing the costs. The school would pay the staff during the school days, where the libuary staff are paid outwith the school day by the libuary services. Thus the libuary could open longer hours. Also thinking outside the box is you could put islesburgh in there too? Although im not sure how that would work.

 

The thing is you have to think in the long term as we know with the AHS it can take a long time to get things done.

 

Id put the new hospitail on the main road where the power station is just now. remember we have to think long term.....

[Silvercloud]

By doing all the above they free up 2 more sites for more housing development.

and build the new Anderson schhol on land that would not get developed, this sounds like massaging the planning rules to maximise council gain.

[Silvercloud]

I thought the original idea was to build the new AHS on the original site then this got changed or am I wrong ?

[trowie246]

Yes, they were going to build the new AHS on the original site - until Jonathon Wills (councillor for that area) threw his toys out the pram because his constituents weren't happy.

 

There was a general consensus that the new design of school was not suitable for the site at the knab, but don't know if there were any other problems.

 

You can forget about them re-visiting the old site as the whole fiasco has already cost the SIC millions of pounds

[Auld Mossyface]

Would there be any real need for a new Anderson if the present council director wasn't hell bent on closing the country schools?

[concerned shetlander]

When SLAP owns the whole Staneyhill why do they have to take over the campsite for the new school. If they were building for a smaller number of pupils e.g 800-900 they could fit the school in without needing to use the campsite on the flat. Why do they insist upon building this school for 1200 pupils, is it something to do with the grants they are to receive.

[trowie246]

Helen Budge has said that the offer of grant is on a "like for like" school.

 

So presumably the AHS has capacity for 1200 pupils.

[fusion]

Yes, they were going to build the new AHS on the original site - until Jonathon Wills (councillor for that area) threw his toys out the pram because his constituents weren't happy.

 

There was a general consensus that the new design of school was not suitable for the site at the knab, but don't know if there were any other problems.

 

You can forget about them re-visiting the old site as the whole fiasco has already cost the SIC millions of pounds

 

I think the problem was that whilst building the school in stages when they children are still on site too, with noise and disdruption it was too great. For them its better build somewhere else then just move into the new building.

 

When it is empty they can make the old high school into a new primary school without anyone else there. much beter and no trafic other than the builders. where building planed befour they would be tones of busses and parents on the school run and that would have been a nightmare.

 

If they do each site in turn then is shoudnt cause too much trouble to the rest of us. mind we are speeking over a 5- 10 year timeline.

 

Some bits of the old high school like the old origonail bits and the pe department are fine, seems a shame to knock them down when they could be used as part of a new development primary school. both lk primarys would die for a hall like that.

 

The old english dep could be the nursery departments, the asn dpt could stay as is, but for primary asn. the home eco, department could be junior clases, p 1 and 2. then they just need a block for the upper primary clases. i think it would all work in good especialy since they would have a closed site to get on with the job.

 

before anyone goes on about building trafic, what ever hapens there, where they buldoze the lot and build houses its still going to have trucks removing the old and puting in the new builds. the opption of leaving it open space wont be there in the long run.

[trowie246]

It would make sense to have one primary school in Lerwick and especially on the existing AHS site if there is going to be long drawn out and expensive legal issues with title burdens.

 

The only problem is that I seem to remember the last time a 'super primary' was suggested for Lerwick in one of the last education reviews, both parents and staff were none too happy about the prospect of having a primary school with over 600 pupils. It very hastily got dropped from the proposals.