PARENTS and residents fighting to save an under-threat primary are to present the council with a proposal they believe can secure the future of their school.
Lismore Primary campaigners say that by demolishing the existing building and selling off land to developers, enough money would be freed up to build a brand new school on a small section of the spacious Bingham Avenue site.
They say a new school
would give Lismore a secure future in the Bingham community, attract new pupils and would stop the council having to pay for repairs to the ageing building.
The school has already been threatened with closure twice in recent years, and is set to be on the new hit-list when it is revealed by education leaders.
The city council insists no decisions have been made regarding the school closure plans, but said it will "carefully consider" all views during the consultation process.
Campaigners say a new building would give parents confidence to send their children there and in turn lead to a healthy school roll, with the money for the project being raised from the land sale.
Their plans centre around the building of a modular school, so that additional space could be added if the pupil numbers rose.
Although the proposals are in the early stages and they have not yet got costed figures, the campaigners say that an independent surveyor has valued the land at up to £3 million. Advocate John Mayer, who lives in Bingham and is part of the campaign group, outlined the proposals at a meeting, also attended by councillors from the Portobello and Craigmillar ward.
Mr Mayer said: "The idea is that there always remains a primary school in Bingham. That's our starting point. But it needn't be in this building.
"Our ultimate position is to build a 21st-century modular high-quality school for the kids.
"Releasing a certain amount of land around the present building would release enough money to the council to pay for a little centre of excellence. We won't actually cost the council any money."
Campaigners have already accused council chiefs of leaving the building to rot, claiming that dozens of smashed windows have gone unfixed for over a year.
They also say that primary seven children at the school have to go on "bucket duty" whenever it rains to collect water dripping into the building from the roof.
Mr Mayer added: "They could build us a school with the money we would use for the sticking plasters for the next 30 years."
Maggie Paterson, chair of the school's parent council, said: "We are up for anything, as long as it involves keeping the school in our community. We have been working very hard but we are hopeful and we still feel very confident."
Councillor Marilyne MacLaren, the city's education leader, said: "There have yet to be any decisions made and all proposals on any change to the estate must be taken to the education committee for a full discussion."
The full article contains 512 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
