Four primary schools in East Dunbartonshire may need to be replaced after a council study found their construction methods present significant barriers to refurbishment.
Baljaffray Primary in Bearsden, Harestanes Primary in Kirkintilloch, and Meadowburn Primary and St Helen’s Primary in Bishopbriggs were built using light-gauge steel frames and modular panels. The council said the buildings have structural inefficiencies, poor thermal performance and outdated spatial layouts.
A council spokesperson said the schools could not be “economically refurbished” and had “reached or exceeded their designed 60-year lifespan”. The four buildings are among those associated with the Consortium of Local Authorities Special Programme (CLASP), which was established in the late 1950s to support the delivery of schools using prefabricated construction methods.
Engagement on replacement options
East Dunbartonshire Council is consulting residents on whether replacement schools could be built on the existing sites while the current schools remain open. Engagement sessions are being held at all four schools during October and November.
The council’s high-level feasibility study examined whether construction could take place on the remainder of each school’s grounds. CLASP buildings were designed to be suitable for sites with challenging ground conditions, including areas affected by mining subsidence.
No replacement school designs have been produced. The council said each future design would be “tailored to each site to ensure it meets the individual requirements of the school”. It added that other schools across Scotland were also being considered for replacement because of their age and construction methods.