A NEW shared campus for all Faifley pupils looks set to be given the green light next week.

The new complex will include Edinbarnet Primary, St Joseph’s Primary, the education resource centre currently at Edinbarnet, Auchnacraig and Lennox nurseries, the centre for additional support needs (ASN) currently at St Joseph’s, a new library and a community space.

A report on where the campus could go concluded the existing St Joseph’s site was the only realistic option.

Other alternatives were Edinbarnet Primary and Skypoint in Lennox Drive – but the former is limited by power lines north of the site and the latter would have significant traffic problems.

But a Faifley councillor has hit out at the “done deal” being revealed only after the Scottish Parliament elections with no meaningful consultation of the public.

The new campus would cost an estimated £28.86 million and isn’t expected open until 2025 under a current proposed timeline.

Suggestions of new infrastructure for Faifley first emerged more than three years ago when library opening hours were drastically slashed in the area.

The original suggestion was a new Skypoint which would include a new library. But both schools in Faifley are more than 70 years old and need regular repair work.

In a report to the educational services committee next week, officials said the current Edinbarnet/Auchnacraig site offered a large area, access to woodland, multiple points of access and good public transport links. But the overhead pylons and other infrastructure could add “significant costs” and the design would be more complex.

The report considered decanting Edinbarnet pupils and building a new campus on the site, but said that option would face the same issues as well as disruption to pupils.

The document described Skypoint as being in the “heart” of Faifley, but said that problems around traffic management, parking and access to public transport would be difficult to overcome, while there would be a risk of overlooking properties on Abbeylands Road.

But St Joseph’s has enough land to build a new campus next to the existing school, access to Faifley Road and public transport, opportunities for families to walk to school, and it is close to the church.

Council officers concluded there were “no significant constraints” at the site.

Only 25 people attended four “engagement sessions” last year, with another 243 online survey responses. More than 42 per cent of those didn’t have children attending any of the schools at the moment.

Half of those surveyed said they would prefer the Edinbarnet site, 30 per cent St Joseph’s and 20 per cent Skypoint.

Although there will be a statutory consultation, a contractor is expected to be appointed by August.

Labour councillor Douglas McAllister, whose Kilpatrick ward includes Faifley, told the Post: “It came as no surprise to me that the proposals were made public after the election.

“We haven’t had any meaningful consultation and I would prefer to consult with the people of Faifley on all options rather than imposing our view as to where the campus should be located.

“The period of statutory consultation will be on the council’s preferred location and I’m not convinced that the SNP will listen to the outcome of this process.”

The education committee meets over Zoom on Wednesday, June 9.