A meeting of the Planning and Regulation Panel yesterday gave planning permission for the construction of the new school, to be situated at the heart of the development site.

The school will be constructed with an external sports pitch and landscaping and be located next to active travel routes to and from Bannockburn and surrounding areas. The sports pitch and other parts of the school building, including the games hall, will be available for community use out of school hours.

An earlier meeting of the Children and Young People Committee, in October 2024, agreed to establish the primary school to serve the new community following a public consultation. An initial seven classroom school is expected to be constructed by the 2026/27 academic term, followed by a four classroom extension in 2033/34 depending on roll projection estimates.

The developer, Persimmon Homes, has committed £10 million towards a new primary school and secondary school provision and more than £500,000 to support local healthcare facilities.

Detailed planning permission for South Stirling Gateway was approved in October 2023 and the development is expected to deliver around 800 energy efficient homes over several phases, with almost 200 to be allocated for affordable housing.

Stirling Council leader, Cllr Gerry McGarvey, said: “Stirling continues to grow and flourish and we are committed to providing first class infrastructure for children’s learning and development that helps our new communities to emerge and thrive.

“This modern, high-quality school will not only meet the needs of children, but families will also benefit as it will be placed in the very centre of South Stirling Gateway, with community access to school facilities out of hours.

“We are excited to see the growth of vibrant, sustainable communities such as South Stirling Gateway and look forward to welcoming new and existing families to the Stirling area as construction continues apace.”

Children from South Stirling Gateway will be accommodated at Bannockburn Primary School until construction of the primary school is complete. Initially, pupils from South Stirling Gateway will feed into Bannockburn High School.