Thousands pitched in to create new sports field exclusively for Lenzie Academy

Members on East Dunbartonshire Council planning board unanimously backed an application to build the new pitch at Lenzie Academy at a meeting last week.

Work on the £390,000 project will take 12 weeks to complete.

Provost Una Walker said: “I’m delighted to see this coming to fruition at last. We did say when the new schools were being built that we wouldn’t see Boclair and Lenzie lose out.

“It’s a good news story for the school.”

Lenzie and Kirkintilloch South councillor Anne Jarvis said: “The pitch will be a great asset to the area.”

However, Lenzie and Kirkinitlloch South councillor Gillian Renwick says the delay in the project, which was expected to begin at the start of the summer holidays, is unacceptable.

Councillor Renwick said: “It’s fantastic that the council has passed the planning application, but it is still so late in the day.

“The kids go back to school this week and we are so far behind when we should have had it ready.

“It could be October now before the pitch is open, but it should have happened a long time ago.

“There has to be some sort of investigation.”

The project has received 18 objections from residents, who have raised concerns that the new pitch could increase traffic, noise and anti-social behaviour in the area.

Grace Irvine, the council’s head of assets and property services, said: “The new £390,000 sports pitch at Lenzie Academy will be a great asset for the school and pupils will be able to benefit from first class sporting facilities enhancing fitness and well-being.

“We also, however, need to ensure that the development does not have any adverse impact on the local residents given the history of localised flooding in this area.

“The council is currently also progressing significant improvements to drainage in the area, and we want to ensure the pitch improvements do not have any adverse flood impact.

“We are therefore ensuring the drainage design is appropriate and this has had some impact on timescales.

“As soon as this is finalised work will commence and last around 12 weeks.”

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