Published: Wednesday, 30th April, 2008 12:00
EXCLUSIVE - IRVINE SCHOOLS SAVED
By Kevin Dyson
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Springside kids celebrate their school being saved.
IN an astonishing meeting on Tuesday all of the Irvine schools threatened with closure were saved.
Tense parents arrived at Cunninghame House to await the verdict of the future of Towerlands and John Galt Primary Schools, with Springside all but secured.
Many had believed that John Galt would be the one school of the three to be doomed to closure.
However, in an neck-and-neck vote the Vineburgh school was saved after Provost Bobby Rae made his casting vote count.
Deputy Provost Ian Clarkson had made his feelings known about the proposal at last week's Executive meeting and voted with the school.
However, there was a slight pause before John Galt parents realised that their school was safe.
It looked more promising for Towerlands Primary, whose parent council held aloft a banner at the meeting.
And so it would prove to be, with a massive majority in favour of keeping the school.
The vote, 20 to 10, saw Labour councillors Ian Clarkson, Tom Barr and John Moffat alongside the SNP, Conservatives, Lib Dems and Independents.
With Springside being retained without a vote being taken it was a day of pure relief for all of the parents who came down to Council Headquarters.
Despite the heavy defeat, the Labour group which had voted to back the recommendations decried the decision by opposition councillors, claiming they were threatening the education of other children across North Ayrshire by spending money on "empty classrooms rather than teachers and books".
Towerlands Parent Council Chair Chris Archer welcomed the decision and thanked all of the parents, community and businesses who helped in their campaign.
The Irvine Times will have a full report on the decision and a look back at the campaign in next week's edition.
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GRAVEROBBER WITH A GUILTY CONSCIENCE