COMMUNITY COUNCIL OBJECT TO LEARNING CENTRE
STONEHAVEN and District Community Council have objected to Aberdeen College's proposal to build a learning centre in the grounds of Mackie Academy.
Despite stating that they are not against the "principle" of having the education centre there, the group lists seven reasons for their objection to the plans.
These include the fact that there has been no public consultation and no statement on what educational activities are expected to take place or how this will affect existing facilities at Mackie and the Stonehaven Community Centre.
The group are also concerned about lack of parking provision, the loss of "valuable playing field area" and increased traffic problems on Slug Road.
Chairman David Fleming said: "We were very disappointed that this has jumped from a very acceptable presentation in November about the general principles which we fully support, to a detailed planning application with very little consultation in between.
"If we are going to build a community college we have got to persuade the community that we have got the best possible way of achieving that. A college like this has to be integrated into the community and the design proposed fails at that hurdle very badly."
Community council member Ian Hunter said: "Let's have a properly thought through system here. This could foul up really good ideas for future developments. Nobody is against it but it should be built in such a way that it integrates with a long-term community view. I think this should be put on hold until the whole community has had a discussion on it."
Fellow member Alasdair Lawrie said he wondered how much consultation had taken place with the school and added: "There needs to be consultation not only on the building but also on the function of it in the community."
The proposal has also received five letters of representation from residents, with concerns ranging from the style and character of the centre to the loss of recreation ground.
Another pleads for a "joined-up" approach with organisations lobbying for additional facilities for the town.
One Stonehaven resident stated: "Typically an adult learning college would contain many facilities of sports and recreation to which local people could gain access possible via sports clubs. The proposed learning centre contains no good basic sports or recreation ground facilities for the general community."
He adds: "The proposed development would take away a prime site from use as recreational playing fields. If the education authorities were to offer this space to the community organisations it would be readily accepted.
"Whilst not wanting to demean any aspect of further learning, I would suggest that for the only five classrooms being provided it might be more suitable to have class subjects other than childcare, hair/beauty and EC driver licence training. There is a drastic shortage of trades people in the area."
Another resident states: "While I think that an Adult Learning Centre in Stonehaven would be a very good thing, the location is wrong. If it has to be sited on the grounds of Mackie Academy, it should be at the back of the present academy (not on the playing field) and not to the side of this.
"One good reason for this must be that, since it is surely clear that the Mackie is well past its "sell-by" date and should be replaced (as Portlethen, a newer school, was), it would not be sensible to place any new Learning Centre in the most obvious site to build a new Mackie."
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Weather for Stonehaven
Thursday 24 May 2012
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