IT’S emerged that a new nursery may be built on the site of the former Pitcorthie Primary School, the Press can reveal.

Parents distraught at the shock decision to close the school just over a year ago have reacted angrily to suggestions that the vacant site could now house a fresh educational facility. 

In correspondence with Fife Council, Dunfermline MSP Shirley-Anne Somerville says she has been told that the former school site was being looked at for nursery provision.

And now there’s fury among some parents who would see the site being used to help meet demand for pre-school education in Duloch coming at the expense of their kids.

Fife Council told the Press that they have not yet come to a decision on the future of the land.

But Ms Somerville said: “A constituent initially approached me concerned that the site was still vacant and asked me what the plans were. I was then surprised that an email came back to say they were considering putting nursery provision into that area.

“It certainly seems a poor decision by the council to close what was an exceptionally popular and well-run school and push up class numbers in other surrounding schools then to think of using it for education provision.

“I think the community will find it mighty strange.

“The decision to close Pitcorthie Primary was deeply unpopular at the time and parents are still angry and upset. It now appears that the council will add further salt to the wound by possibly using the site to develop nursery provision. 

“While I welcome any increase in nursery provision in the area, the irony of using the site for educational provision will not be lost on many.”

Mum Shirley Macdonald, who was a member of the Save Pitcorthie Primary campaign, said: “The wounds haven’t healed from when the school was closed down in the first place.

"I don’t see how they would be able to justify it. Certainly it would feel like a slap in the face.”

“Abbeyview seems to be well-served for nurseries. I know the eastern expansion is not really served for schools and nurseries, however, if they had knocked Pitcorthie down in order to build a new nursery to serve the eastern expansion, the place would be up in arms,” she added.

“They have taken so much from Abbeyview as it is, they have to give us something back.”

Pitcorthie Primary School closed in July 2015 and was demolished within a few months. 

Ms Somerville said Pitcorthie parents deserved to know the fate of the site. “Since they have invested so much into the local community, Fife Council must involve local people before any decision is made about the future of the site.

“Furthermore, from having visited the site, it is evident that work must be urgently taken to address what has become a local eyesore.”

Service manager for school estates, Louise Playford, said the Scottish Government’s pledge to increase free early learning and childcare provision to 1,140 hours per year by 2020 meant there would be a big increase in nursery service requirements across the whole of Fife, not just in Dunfermline. 

“Work is under way to plan how we will deliver this in Fife,” she said. 

“At this time, no decision has been made about how the council might use the site of the former Pitcorthie Primary School in future but I’d like to offer reassurances to local residents that the overgrown areas of the site will be tended to as soon as possible. 

“As soon as the last of the remedial works is complete we will be able to arrange routine landscaping for that area of land.”