Concerns have been raised that an Aberdeenshire primary school will be unable to cope if a major housing development is brought forward.
Balmedie Primary School has already had extra classrooms added to cope with the rising school roll twice, with the most recent temporary additions approved in September.
According to the most recent census figures, the school roll is currently 427. Capacity is 469.
But with the next phase of the local development including 150 affordable homes to the south of the village, local councillor Allan Hendry has questioned where the additional children would go.
Mr Hendry, who has raised the matter with Aberdeenshire Council’s director of education, said: “Balmedie School is bursting at the seams. Two years ago they built two new classrooms at the back of it, and the headmaster and I raised concerns that the village was expanding and there would be a lot more kids.
“We said that if they built those classrooms, they would be back again for more in no time. Now we’ve got temporary units in the playground.
“There are 150 affordable homes included in the local development plan.
“This is a matter of priority and concern and worry.
“There won’t be room in Balmedie and there’s no school in Potterton or Blackdog, where are the children going to be educated?”
Banchory-based developers Bancon Homes put forward a bid for to build 1,000 homes and retail at Millden, on the site of the former East Aberdeenshire Golf Club, and offered to give the council land for a new school for free.
But due to concerns that the development would split Balmedie across the A90 Ellon to Aberdeen road, it was not included in the local development plan – despite proposals for a grade-separated junction with an underpass that will link both sides of the village being incorporated into the AWPR/dualling of the A90 Balmedie-Tipperty project.
Local landowner Colin Tawse has also set aside space for a school at his 600-home development at Blackdog, but the scheme is being phased around the Aberdeen bypass.
A spokesman for Aberdeenshire Council said: “We are aware of the pressure on accommodate at Balmedie School and have been actively working on a number of possible solutions. This is a complex and fluid situation, therefore it is important that any final solution is both sustainable and fit for purpose.”