The Westercraigs Nusery School saga continues (now 7 years and counting)

I have lived in Meadowpark Street for 17 years now. 

Having the secondary school opposite was an advantage as it meant an almost open outlook and barring the odd issue with vandalism and litter there was never really a significant problem. 

With the arrival of the so called 'temporary' Westercraigs Nursery in summer 2007 all that changed. 

The 'temporary' Westercraigs Nursery School in 2007

With the secondary school the times when there is noise were limited to morning before the pupils went in, lunchtime and also when the pupils finished. 

With the nursery the noise levels are much greater, and can last all day. To get away from it I moved my main bedroom to the back of the property which has the drawback that is comes directly off the kitchen but this inconvenience is less when compared with being disturbed if I sleep later in the day as I am long term unwell. 

I have also had to invest in double glazing at the front to reduce the adverse noise pollution which was a financial outlay I could well have done without since I am living on benefits of about £100 a week, but the resulting reduction in noise has been terriffic. 

Of course I can do nothing about the visual polution - rather than an open space used for car parking during the day we are now faced with straggly bamboo trees and half broken bamboo fencing both placed there temporarily after a meeting with the Council in 2011 in front of a grey portable cabin structure which never melts in the background as it is so in your face.

Even if it is warm I don’t usually open my front windows (particularly in the room I am in) as otherwise I frequently cannot hear people speaking on the phone or indeed concentrate on anything (even with them shut this is difficult). 

I now also feel really uncomfortable being in the my front garden during the day as I was told on arrival by an employee of the school that I was not to disturb the children by cutting my grass! Nice to know that they consider their neighbours (not!).

The playground for the Nursery School children

I now keep my blinds largely shut during the day and as a result live in twilight world most of the time, but it better than looking out right into to the office of the Nusery School.

I don't really understand the positioning of this school here. It is far too close to homes and is therefore bound to cause disruption. It is also not a suitable location due to the shape of the site. Looking at the picture on the right it can be seen that the playground is divided off from the main school grounds by an access road to Whitehill High School campus. The needless additional hassle to the staff must be considerable on a daily basis as they must accompany the children between each half on each and every occasion. It also must be costing Glasgow City Council a fortune to rent the temporary buildings. They have plenty money for needless alterations to George Square that they can see from their windows but don't seem to care very much for what the residents can see from theirs.

I continue to look forward to the nursery being moved although by the looks of things despite it being considered ‘temporary’ it is becoming more and more permanent by the day (and I also have to say more and more unsightly). So I think I shall probably be dead before it moves at the rate Glasgow City Council moves.

It really has ruined staying in this street as previously it was quiet and tidy looking. I would never have moved here if that had been directly opposite the flat I intended to buy. If my circumstances had been different I would be moving to get away from it, as several of my neighbours have done all ready.

Temporary. 7 years and counting!

Related items on the internet:

• Westercraigs Nursery School on the Glasgow City Council website
• Education Scotland report on Westercraigs Nusery School from 2008 in its new temporary position.
• Glasgow Online entry for Westercraigs Nursery School

Previous posts on this subject:

• An open letter to Glasgow City Council regarding Westercraigs Nursery School, 30.08.2013.
• Comments regarding the temporary Westercraigs Nursery School, 21.11.2013
• More comments regarding the temporary Westercraigs Nusery School, 10.12.2013
• Yet more comments regarding the temporary Westercraigs Nusery School, 17.02.2014

Yet More Comments Regarding the Temporary Westercraigs Nursery School

We bought our flat many years ago when Meadowpark Street was a pleasant quiet street to stay in. My husband frequently works nights and therefore must sleep during the day. 

Meadowpark Street used to be a pleasant and quiet street to stay in

He is now constantly disturbed by the nursery gates opening and closing, and children screaming all day long. This has been so bad, that we have had to create a temporary bedroom in our home so he can have some sort of sleep and get him away from the nursery at the front of the building. 

 This has been so bad that we have had to create a temporary bedroom in our home

I don’t see how the Council can just dump a nursery school on us, saying that it is temporary for a few years and now it is becoming more permanent by the day. If it is to stay for any longer I want the Council to pay for double glazing for our windows at the front as their nursery is making our lives miserable because of the noise, and, give us a Council Tax reduction for the inconvenience. Even with this I look forward to when it is not there any more as it has ruined the atmosphere and look of the street.

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More Comment Regarding the Temporary Westercraigs Nursery School

I am a full time nurse at the Royal Infirmary and work shifts. This means I require to sleep frequently during the day. The nursery school opposite makes this very difficult most of the time. It is not like the secondary school was before as the noisy times were concentrated at particular times of the day, and even then the noise was much less. Something must be done to make it less noisy. 

Having the nursery opposite is really unfair both for me and the children within it. I think it is amazing that Glasgow City Council was allowed to let the old school building get into such a poor state that it was condemned and then the nursery school children had to be moved almost overnight into a temporary hut-like structure in an unsuitable location. However it can hardly be considered temporary since it has been there 6 years and counting!

The old Westercraigs Nursery School building which adjoined Golfhill Primary (also moved at short notice)

Other comment regarding the temporary Westercraigs Nursery School.

The temporary Westercraigs Nursery School is previously discussed here in a communication with Glasgow City Council.

 http://cdbc81.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/an-open-letter-to-glasgow-city-council.html

Comments on the temporary Westercraigs Nursery School in Meadowpark Street

I understand children must have freedom to play. I am an OAP and the noise in my living room can be deafening at times when I want to hear my TV. Also the volume of traffic is terrible, when my son comes to pick me up he now has to park the car away down the street I have trouble walking. This is all since Westercraigs Nursery School was temporarily situated near my home. When I moved in opposite were playing fields and it was so peaceful. What a change.

I think it is appalling that Glasgow City Council let the old school building get into such a poor state of repair that it was condemned and then the nursery school children had to be decanted at short notice into a temporary building in an unsuitable location.

The Old Westercraigs Nursery School building

I say temporary advisedly since this conjures up ideas of 6 months to a year, not 6 years and counting! They can find the money for things that are not needed such as George Square being refurbished, pop concerts, etc. but they can't look after their own nursery school children, or their own council tax payers.

The temporary Westercraigs Nursery School is previously discussed here.
 http://cdbc81.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/an-open-letter-to-glasgow-city-council.html

An open letter to Glasgow City Council regarding Westercraigs Nursery School

Dear Glasgow City Council,

I am in receipt of a copy of a letter to my neighbour and also their original communication to Chief Executive of Glasgow City Council.

Both she and the vast majority of the residents at my home and neighbouring buildings have repeatedly been in touch with Glasgow City Council regarding the temporary situation of Westercraigs Nursery School opposite our homes since it was placed there in summer 2007.

We have made phone calls and sent numerous letters and emails. We have even had a meeting to discuss this nursery school. Over and over again we are told that everything is being done to minimize the disruption to our lives which results from the situation of this establishment too close to our homes which arrived with no consultation, just a letter dated 26.06.2007.

I have placed temporary in italics throughout this letter since the definition of temporary conjures up an idea of 6 months to a maximum of 2 years, not 6 years!

To date some things have been done to reduce its adverse environmental impact most of which arose from the meeting of 09.06.2011 at 1030am in the temporary Westercraigs Nursery. The first major improvement was making the operation of the school term time only which occurred in 2012 due to the involvement of Jennifer Dunn the local SNP councilor.

Our patience with the constant noise, adverse visual impact, additional traffic has long since run out and we have to suffer it on a daily basis (since summer 2012 except during holidays) particularly during nice weather when it is noisier and we want to open our windows.

We have been told that the council does not have the money to build a new nursery school for the children on a different site. However it can find £18 million for its initial abortive attempt to completely revamp George Square which nobody wanted except the Council and £15 million for its latest attempt. What is the Council going to spend the £3 million it has saved on it original George Square plans? Can I suggest a new nursery school building for Westercraigs?

 

It is interesting to note that Glasgow City Council has £18 million at its disposal for George Square but not a fraction of this to improve the lives of the nursery school children  in Dennistoun who currently and will in future attend the Westercraigs Nursery School in its present location. The children presently have to put up with a temporary building in an unsuitable site, a long strip of playground which has an access road dividing it in two.

It is also interesting that the Council is prepared to spend a large amount of money on something it can see from its own Chambers front windows (i.e. George Square) but not a fraction of this for something we can see (and hear!) from ours.

http://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/specification/nursery-school-berriozar-navarre-spain/8641512.article

The above article (see above link) is interesting as it is for building a new nursery school for the total cost of £849970.00. I accept that it is situated in a Spain so weather proofing and other requirements will be very different. But just mentioning this gives some food for thought.

 

Although the noise and inconvenience created by the children is a symptom of the problem, it is not the root cause i.e. the City Council and its decision to temporarily situate Westercraigs school in an unsuitable place (and to neglect its original building to the point when it was condemned).

We are delighted that the Council indicates it has no plans to move Whitehill Secondary School which unlike the nursery was one of the reasons to move here as it offered an open outlook with only limited disruption. We do however continue to look forward to hearing that Westercraigs Nursery School will be moving to its new permanent home for both the resident’s and the children’s benefit.

Yours sincerely

 

Christopher Crawford