D-day for £1.25m residential home

Aug 12 2008 by Les Stewart, Perthshire Advertiser Tuesday

COUNCILLORS will be asked tomorrow to back plans for a new £1.25 million residential home for children with additional support needs (ASN).

Given the go-ahead, the 10-bedroom facility would be built on a vacant site at Muirend Road, in the Burghmuir area of the city.

Councillors will be told that the current ASN residence is within the grounds of Glebe School at Scone. But that building has been declared surplus to requirements and is to be sold as part of the council’s Investment in Learning disposals package agreed last August.

“In addition, the current accommodation is not up to appropriate standards and is not ideally located in terms of its proximity to the replacement ASN School, called Fairview, in the grounds of the Perth Academy campus,” explained Russell Thomson, the council’s head of property.

He adds in his report to the council’s Property Sub-Committee: “A study concluded that a new-build facility is the most cost-effective means of providing accommodation that will comply with Care Commission standards and best meet the needs of the client group rather than the conversion of an existing property.”

Mr Thomson concludes: “It is considered that the best means of procurement of the new ASN residency building is by new build rather than conversion of an existing building.

“In this way the needs of the resident children are best met.

“The recommended site is already in the ownership of the council but, in addition, it is ideally located in a residential area with amenities nearby, including the new ASN school.”