Miss-Delectable
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http://news.scotsman.com/scotland.cfm?id=2093502005
DONALDSON'S College has been given the go-ahead for its plans to leave the Capital and move to West Lothian.
The famous deaf school for children in Scotland is to relocate from its current landmark home in Edinburgh to a new campus in Linlithgow. School bosses say they plan to be in the new premises by summer 2007.
The site will be home to a building for 120 hearing and speech-impaired primary and secondary pupils.
And the move will pave the way for the historic Edinburgh Donaldson's building in West Coates to be turned into upmarket apartments.
The new school at Linlithgow will be built on a 3.2-hectare site formerly owned by the now derelict Thales factory on Preston Road.
The school buildings are to be split-level with recreational facilities including a gym and swimming pool.
It will also have an accommodation wing for 24 week-day boarders who will attend from all over Scotland.
A spokesman for Donaldson's said getting planning permission from West Lothian Council for the state-of-the-art new building was welcome news.
Robin Burton, a fundraiser at the school, said: "It's a good move. We will be leaving in 2007 for a very nice site. The communications are good there and it should be good for the kids, which is the important thing."
Mr Burton stressed that the school was "Scotland's national resource" and that although it was moving outside the Capital, it would still be in a very accessible location for pupils travelling from throughout the country.
He added that he was sure the landmark West Coates building would be sensitively developed.
"Cala Homes is developing it into apartments, but maintaining the integrity of the view," he said.
Cala Homes won the backing of council officials in May for its controversial £80 million transformation of Donaldson's College.
It plans to create 63 luxury flats inside the 153-year-old A-listed building, expected to fetch more than £400,000 each.
A further 72 futuristic homes will also be created in a crescent shape behind the main building, built by William Henry Playfair with money derived from the estate of Edinburgh publisher Sir James Donaldson.
The plans attracted criticism from heritage watchdogs and architecture experts when they were first mooted.
West End Community Council, the Donaldson Area Amenity Association and the Magdala Crescent and Gardens Residents' Association also criticised the plans.
The developers has said that its plans will preserve and maintain one of Scotland's finest buildings.
DONALDSON'S College has been given the go-ahead for its plans to leave the Capital and move to West Lothian.
The famous deaf school for children in Scotland is to relocate from its current landmark home in Edinburgh to a new campus in Linlithgow. School bosses say they plan to be in the new premises by summer 2007.
The site will be home to a building for 120 hearing and speech-impaired primary and secondary pupils.
And the move will pave the way for the historic Edinburgh Donaldson's building in West Coates to be turned into upmarket apartments.
The new school at Linlithgow will be built on a 3.2-hectare site formerly owned by the now derelict Thales factory on Preston Road.
The school buildings are to be split-level with recreational facilities including a gym and swimming pool.
It will also have an accommodation wing for 24 week-day boarders who will attend from all over Scotland.
A spokesman for Donaldson's said getting planning permission from West Lothian Council for the state-of-the-art new building was welcome news.
Robin Burton, a fundraiser at the school, said: "It's a good move. We will be leaving in 2007 for a very nice site. The communications are good there and it should be good for the kids, which is the important thing."
Mr Burton stressed that the school was "Scotland's national resource" and that although it was moving outside the Capital, it would still be in a very accessible location for pupils travelling from throughout the country.
He added that he was sure the landmark West Coates building would be sensitively developed.
"Cala Homes is developing it into apartments, but maintaining the integrity of the view," he said.
Cala Homes won the backing of council officials in May for its controversial £80 million transformation of Donaldson's College.
It plans to create 63 luxury flats inside the 153-year-old A-listed building, expected to fetch more than £400,000 each.
A further 72 futuristic homes will also be created in a crescent shape behind the main building, built by William Henry Playfair with money derived from the estate of Edinburgh publisher Sir James Donaldson.
The plans attracted criticism from heritage watchdogs and architecture experts when they were first mooted.
West End Community Council, the Donaldson Area Amenity Association and the Magdala Crescent and Gardens Residents' Association also criticised the plans.
The developers has said that its plans will preserve and maintain one of Scotland's finest buildings.