Trinity High School OBC - Netherton Option - Final
Renfrewshire Council · 20 August 2026
Back to Education and Children's Services Policy Board — 20 August 2026 and its agenda
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PUBLIC To: Education and Children’s Services Policy Board On: 20 August 2026 ____________________________________________________________________________ Report by: Director of Children’s Services ____________________________________________________________________________ Heading: Trinity High School OBC AMIDS Netherton Avenue Option ____________________________________________________________________________ 1. Summary 1.1. On 12 March 2026, the Outline Business Case (OBC) for a new build Trinity High School was presented to the Education and Children’s Services Policy Board for approval. 1.2. Members of the Education and Children’s Services Policy Board agreed “the officers’ assessment of the Netherton Avenue site be noted and that it be agreed that a further detailed report examining the legal, financial and deliverability considerations associated with this site be presented to the Board for further consideration. The report should include a comparison with the constraints and costs associated with the other site options to allow Members to be able to take a fully informed decision on the site ahead of the next stages of delivering the Council’s Learning Estate Strategy.” 1.3. This report provides further information in relation to this site option assessment in conjunction with the high-level summary that was provided in the OBC. This provides Members with a greater level of supporting information to accompany the information supporting the recommendation for the site not to progress to the FBC stage. This additional analysis includes direct comparison of the range of issues and constraints identified at the Netherton (AMIDS) site as assessed against constraints or issues associated with the three sites recommended for progressing to the FBC assessment stage. 1.4. As part of the Learning Estate Strategy, a four-stage business case process was developed and approved. This approach is based on the application of the HM Treasury Green Book best practice model for business case development. 1.5 The staged approach is designed to ensure transparency and enable appropriate scrutiny at each phase, supporting accountability in relation to significant public sector investment. A fundamental objective of the business case process is to ensure that only options which demonstrate clear viability and deliverability progress to the final stages of assessment. These later stages require a high degree of public engagement, and it is accepted practice not to promote options to this stage and subsequently undertake detailed public engagement where significant known constraints or obstacles exist that materially undermine or limit the potential deliverability and or viability of the option to move forward for detailed consideration. Issues can include but are not restricted to material deficiencies in the quality of the
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PUBLIC educational provision that could be delivered from the site, deliverability constraints or materially negative financial, economic or social considerations arising from the use of the site. 1.6 The approach taken is consistent with the Council’s recently approved Consultation and Engagement Policy, which states that engagement with stakeholders and communities should not take place where there is no genuine opportunity for feedback to influence outcomes. 1.7 The site assessment process identified a broad range of significant constraints and risks which collectively indicate that the Netherton (AMIDS) site is not a suitable option for progression to the Full Business Case (FBC) stage. It is therefore recommended that the site does not proceed further to the FBC process for the following key reasons: I. The site is considered, from an educational perspective, to be fundamentally unsuitable as the location for a major secondary school campus. The site's environmental characteristics, accessibility challenges, limited community integration and broader operational constraints would not support the delivery of the high-quality learning environment envisaged by the Council's Learning Estate Strategy. II. The site is subject to a significant number of planning, legal, contractual, environmental and operational constraints and obstacles which create substantial uncertainty regarding the deliverability of a school on the site. Collectively, these factors give rise to a high level of project risk that is not evident with alternative site options. III. The introduction of a major educational facility within AMIDS is assessed as presenting a significant risk to the delivery of the district's strategic economic objectives. In particular, there is potential for adverse impacts on investor confidence, market positioning, future development opportunities and the wider economic benefits expected to be generated through the AMIDS programme. IV. The development of a school on the site is expected to incur substantial abnormal costs arising from ground conditions, acoustic mitigation requirements, transport and access infrastructure, planning mitigation measures and wider indirect financial liabilities. The scale and number of these cost pressures are considered highly atypical for a school development project. V. When the direct construction costs, potential indirect financial liabilities and wider economic opportunity costs are considered collectively, the site is assessed as performing very poorly from an affordability and value-for-money perspective when compared with alternative options. 1.8 By comparison, the three shortlisted sites currently being progressed to Full Business Case stage do not exhibit the same scale, complexity or breadth of constraints identified at Netherton. The assessment undertaken to date indicates that the Netherton (AMIDS) site would perform significantly less favourably across key appraisal criteria. Given the extent of the identified educational, planning, economic, deliverability and financial challenges, officers consider that there is no realistic prospect of the site being capable of competing favourably against the alternative shortlisted FBC options and fundamentally is not supported educationally as a suitable location for a major school. 1.9 A short overview of the key issues are outlined below and are covered in significantly greater detail in sections 4 – 9 of the main body of the report.
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PUBLIC 1.10 Site Location (section 4 of main report) The proposed co-location of a major high school approximately 200m - 300m from an active international airport runway represents an exceptional and unorthodox form of development, for which there are no readily identifiable precedents within the UK and with only limited international examples identified, but which present poorly as direct comparator establishments. Notably, this lack of precedent also extends to long-established schools that are situated near new airports or airports subject to significant expansion, further underlining the rarity of such geographical proximity. Available research and case studies from academia, health and the aviation industry concerning schools located near major airports typically relate to separation distances in the range of 1.5km to 3km between the school and airport with exceptions being closer to 1km. Against this baseline, the proposed proximity of 200m -300m is markedly outside established norms and would be regarded as extreme, if not unique, in land use planning and environmental terms. This lack of any identifiable comparable precedent is important as it provides practicable reinforcement of the validity of many of the constraints and concerns identified in this paper. It should be noted that none of the three shortlisted options for the FBC are in a similar proximity to the airport with KGV in Renfrew being the closest at approximately 2.5km of separation. 1.11 Education Assessment (section 6 of report) Critically the Netherton Avenue (AMIDS) site, is not supported from an educational perspective as a suitable location to accommodate a new major learning estate facility for several key reasons. 1.12 Notably, the site would be subject to substantial noise exposure arising from aircraft operations and associated airport activities. At such proximity, it is unlikely that mitigation measures, including acoustically enhanced building design and use of acoustic dampening site layout design, could fully attenuate these impacts to an acceptable level – particularly peak level activity as major commercial airlines were taking off or landing in the immediate vicinity of the school. This would be contrary to accepted acoustic standards for educational uses, would fail to provide an environment conducive to learning and would be inconsistent with best practice for siting sensitive educational facility. Overall, the option would ultimately give rise to a fundamentally sub-optimal and highly compromised learning environment, with the potential for materially adverse effects on both teaching, learning conditions, and on the overall pupil and staff experience. There is a wide and extended body of research covering several decades, that adds significant evidence to support such concerns in terms of a negative impact on academic performance, learning environment and overall physical and mental well-being of pupils and staff when schools are located close to major airports (it should also be noted schools considered in such research studies were not in such close proximity as 300m from the runway). Appendix 1 provides a short overview of some of the key pieces of major research for members reference. 1.13 The school site would in time become fully enveloped by industrial and airport-related development, resulting in a clear land use incompatibility and placing what is regarded in planning terms as a highly sensitive facility within a dense industrial based neighbourhood environment. From an education perspective, this would create a constrained and operationally unacceptable geographical context for a modern learning estate facility, that would be incompatible with the creation of the best possible holistic experience of young people attending the school. 1.14 The site would result in the spatial isolation of the school from any established residential community, representing a significant deficiency in locational terms. Schools are rightly expected to function as integral components of their local communities, contributing to social
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PUBLIC cohesion, identity and place-making – this is a critical aspect of not just the educational development of young people but also their social experience and growth within society. The absence of meaningful community integration would undermine the ability to establish and sustain a strong school ethos and community presence which would be a material deficiency from an educational perspective. 1.15 Site Deliverability (Section 7 of the report) The site option has significant deliverability constraints in relation to legally bound land use restrictions, planning restrictions linked to the whole AMIDS site and significant planning concerns that would be associated with locating a school in such a site. In this context there is a high risk that such a wide range of constraints would present significant impediments. This would place the deliverability of the site to accommodate a school at significant risk, materially undermining the viability of the site for serious FBC related consideration. 1.16 Economic Impact – Opportunity Cost (section 8 of the report) The location of a school within the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District Scotland (AMIDS) would introduce a significant sensitive land use, representing approximately 20% of the overall development area. Such a use would be fundamentally incompatible with the strategic vision for AMIDS and could materially constrain both the operational flexibility and future development capacity of surrounding aviation, advanced manufacturing and innovation-related activities. 1.17 AMIDS is the product of more than 20 years of strategic collaboration involving local and national government, academia and private sector partners, supported by recent investment of more than £250 million. The district has been developed as a dedicated commercial and innovation environment, specifically designed to attract and support an advanced manufacturing ecosystem where research, innovation and scalable production activities can co-exist within a highly specialised and internationally competitive business location. 1.18 In addition, areas within the AMIDS masterplan have been safeguarded to support the long- term strategic growth plans of Glasgow Airport, recognising its importance as a key economic asset for Renfrewshire and the wider Glasgow City Region. Maintaining the integrity of this long-term vision is regarded as a critical success factor and has been protected through a range of legal and commercial agreements that restrict land uses incompatible with the objectives of the district. These protections are intended to ensure that uses which could dilute the strategic focus, market positioning and attractiveness of AMIDS to high-value advanced manufacturing and innovation occupiers do not locate within the development area. 1.19 While the development of a school was never envisaged when these land use restrictions were established, the same strategic considerations apply. The introduction of a major educational facility would create a material risk to the delivery and long-term sustainability of the AMIDS masterplan objectives and could significantly undermine the marketability and competitiveness of the district as a nationally important location for economic growth. Any resulting constraints on future development, type of operational activity or future expansion opportunities would have consequential implications for the economic and social value generated by the district, with impacts extending beyond Renfrewshire to the wider regional and national economy. 1.20 Accordingly, the proposal is considered likely to give rise to a significant economic opportunity cost when the impact on the strategic importance of AMIDS as a nationally significant economic asset and key driver of future growth is taken into account.
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PUBLIC 1.21 Financial Viability (Section 9 of report) Progressing a proposed school development at Netherton (AMIDS) would involve a school construction project which has a wide range of non-standard cost factors (both directly linked to the project itself and through indirect consequential costs). Collectively these non-standard costs would be extreme in scale, breadth and result in an overall project cost that is well outwith the boundaries of what would be considered a broadly normal cost profile for a school. This cost profile would materially undermine the scheme’s financial viability. Key factors influencing this significantly non-standard cost profile includes: I. Substantially enhanced specification requirements to address environmental constraints, particularly in relation to acoustic mitigation both in terms of the school building and in relation to external sport and social space. II. Additional costs to address site-specific issues relating to poor ground conditions, requiring additional remediation and/or engineering solutions. As outlined in the paper, the AMIDS site is already known to have poor ground conditions, which to date has required 40m deep piling to overcome. Although other sites may yet be assessed as having their own ground condition issues following site investigation surveys, this is a known quantity associated with AMIDS and is abnormal ground conditions of significant relative scale. III. Additional active travel infrastructure (including the addition of a new opening river crossing over the White Cart River) to mitigate the geographical isolation from the Renfrew community and overcome the unsuitability of the Bascule Bridge crossing to safely accommodate high volume pedestrian crossing; IV. The proposed use of the site is likely to attract a range of planning objections, including objections from statutory bodies. SEPA are likely to object to unsuitability of a school site in such proximity to a flood risk zone (even if no part of the school was proposed to be located within the flood zone itself). Further, given its location it is likely to require a high level of bus provision, and it is likely to generate a high inclination for car travel, which will both raise concerns regarding the impact on road network capacity, particularly given the interaction with peak time traffic. Such concerns are likely to be linked to high levels of school related traffic exacerbating traffic volumes in and around AMIDS but also at key network pinch points at the Bascule Bridge, Black Cart River Bridge area and on the M8 junction where capacity constraints is already a noted concern of Transport Scotland and they would be expected to object on this basis. Consequently, assuming a positive planning decision could even be achieved, in the context of this backdrop, overcoming significant objections would likely require expensive planning conditions to be met. Such conditions would be seeking to guarantee the development delivered flood protection measures as well as improvements to the road network to adequately overcome capacity issues. Such mitigation measures are likely to be costly to deliver and would represent a material premium to the overall costs of project delivery. V. Restructuring or withdrawal from existing legal agreements, partnership arrangements and committed grant funding streams entered over the past 12 years by the Council and which underpin the AMIDS programme and investment profile to date. Whether such an outcome was achieved through negotiation or defaulting on agreements, it is likely either way to result in significant associated costs that would need to be paid for as an indirect cost of the project.
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PUBLIC VI. The approved City Deal Business Case for GAIA/AMIDS identified substantial long-term economic benefits arising from the successful delivery of a dedicated advanced manufacturing and innovation district. The operational economic assessment identified a Net Present Value (NPV) of approximately £465 million attributable to this long-term economic activity. Whilst it is not possible to quantify with precision the impact that a school development may have on future AMIDS economic performance, it is reasonable to conclude that a reduction in available development land, coupled with a weakening of the market proposition, would have a significant negative impact on future economic performance and it would not be an unreasonable scenario to project that this opportunity cost could reach £100 million. 1.22 Overall Conclusion All the issues outlined above would present considerable challenges for any project when considered on an individual basis. However, taken collectively, they present a significantly negative assessment profile for the Netherton option. This formed the basis for the clear recommendation from officers in the March report that the site was not suitable or a viable option to be considered as part of the FBC stage assessment. 1.23 Comparison to FBC Shortlisted Sites As outlined in sections 6 – 9 of the main body of the report, the range of significant concerns relating to educational, deliverability, economic and financial viability issues identified with the Netherton option are not prevalent factors associated with any of the three site options currently approved for inclusion in the FBC stage assessment. Consequently, the Netherton option in comparison presents a significantly sub-optimal option and it would perform poorly in an FBC assessment. 1.24 The only caveat to note in relation to the FBC shortlisted sites is the following issues, neither of which at this stage are considered material issues that would prevent any of these options progressing to the FBC stage: - I. Any abnormal site condition issues with the other three sites will not be known until the conclusion of appropriate site investigations and therefore there remains the potential for site specific abnormal costs to emerge for any or all the three sites. It is however highly unlikely that such issues will have similar complexity to the Netherton site (for example there will be no requirement for high specification noise attenuation), in isolation any issues that may be subsequently identified would be unlikely to present a fundamental deficiency in any option, and the impact of site abnormal costs will be taken into account in the overall process, in particular the financial affordability and value for money assessment. II. Secondly, the KGV site in Renfrew is already known to be Common Good land, which is not necessarily a constraining factor on site deliverability. It would however require to be subject to appropriate consultation arrangements in due course in line with statutory requirements. This process would present an additional legal stage that would require to be satisfied should the site be identified for potential progression and that will be recognised as part of the assessment as the FBC process proceeds. 1.25 Additional Governance Considerations As outlined in section 10 of the report, Members should note that should the Board decide to propose the Netherton (AMIDS) is shortlisted as an FBC site, such a decision would give rise to a requirement for a subsequent report to and decision by full Council to consider the Board’s proposal.
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PUBLIC The AMIDS site has been subject to a range of existing Council decisions over many years, partnership arrangements, funding agreements and legal obligations approved by Full Council, other boards and decision-making bodies in support of the approved AMIDS vision. A decision to shortlist the Netherton site would be incompatible with such decisions, therefore a proposal by the Board to progress the site as a potential school location would require further consideration by full Council before the site was able to be formally shortlisted and the FBC process was able to be commenced. This full Council report would require to set out in detail the consequential impact of such a course of action would have on previous decisions taken by the Council and the associated legal, financial and contractual implications for the Council. This would necessitate engagement with relevant partner organisations and funding bodies to establish their position or likely position were the Council to proceed with such a course of action to enable a fully informed assessment of the risks and consequences arising from any departure from the previously approved development objectives for the AMIDS site. Recognising the time partner organisations may take to fully consider and respond to such engagement (which is likely to involve their own internal governance processes), the subsequent report to full Council would inevitably take some time to progress and there remains the possibility that in considering all that is set out in such a report full Council may ultimately decide not to progress with the proposal to shortlist the site. ____________________________________________________________________________ 2. Recommendations Members of the Education and Children’s Services Policy Board are asked to: 2.1. Note the significant additional detail outlined in the report in relation to the constraints and deficiencies identified with the Netherton Avenue site as part of the Outline Business Case long list assessment process and how this contrasts with the three sites already shortlisted for the FBC stage. 2.2. Agree to the recommendation arising from the assessment process that this site does not proceed further to the shortlist of viable options being assessed at FBC stage. 2.3. Agree that officers be authorised to commence the FBC stage and consultation arrangements focusing on the existing approved shortlist. 3. Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District Scotland (AMIDS) 3.1 In order to assess the suitability of the Netherton (AMIDS) site as a potential location for a new school campus, it is necessary to understand the strategic role and purpose of the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District Scotland (AMIDS). Whilst this report focuses on the site assessment itself, the location forms part of a much wider economic development initiative of regional and national significance. A high-level overview is set out in this section of the report, however for Member’s reference, a comprehensive overview of the development of AMIDS, including its strategic evolution, planning status, partnership arrangements, legal protections and economic objectives, is provided for Elected Members in Appendix 2.
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PUBLIC 3.2 AMIDS occupies a strategically significant area adjacent to Glasgow Airport (see red lined AMIDS area on arial picture below) and has been developed as Scotland's flagship advanced manufacturing and innovation district. The district is intended to bring together industry, academia and the public sector within a dedicated business environment focused on advanced manufacturing, innovation, research and high-value economic activity. 3.3 The development of AMIDS has been driven through long-term collaboration between Renfrewshire Council, the Scottish and UK Governments, Scottish Enterprise, academic institutions and private sector partners. Over the past 6 years, more than £250 million of public and private investment has been committed to land assembly, enabling infrastructure, securing anchor research facilities and commercial development. The district is now home to nationally significant assets and anchor institutions in the form of the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS) and the Medicines Manufacturing Innovation Centre (MMIC), both of which have been established to support innovation, productivity growth and international competitiveness within Scotland's manufacturing sector. 3.4 AMIDS forms a key component of the Glasgow City Region City Deal Investment programme (£1.1bn investment programme funded by the UK and Scottish Governments) and plays an important role in supporting wider economic growth objectives across Renfrewshire, the City Region and Scotland. The approved vision for the district is to create a globally competitive location capable of attracting inward investment, supporting business growth, creating high- value employment opportunities and generating significant long-term economic benefits. 3.5 In addition to its direct economic role, AMIDS also performs an important strategic function in supporting the long-term growth aspirations of Glasgow Airport. The infrastructure investment and development land within the district provides strategic land opportunities that may assist future airport expansion proposals and support the continued growth and competitiveness of Glasgow Airport as a significant economic asset for the West of Scotland.
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PUBLIC 3.6 The strategic importance of AMIDS has continued to strengthen over the past 12 months. The district has been awarded both Glasgow City Region Investment Zone and Tax Site status and, in late 2025, was identified by the UK Government as one of only four UK-wide Priority Investment Projects. These designations reflect the significance attributed to AMIDS as a nationally important location for advanced manufacturing, innovation, research and inward investment. 3.7 A fundamental principle that underpins the AMIDS proposition is the creation of a dedicated advanced manufacturing and innovation district. To support delivery of this vision, a range of planning, legal, commercial and funding arrangements have been established over time which seek to protect and promote the specialist economic function of the site. Whilst these arrangements vary in nature and effect, they collectively reflect the long-standing strategic commitment of stakeholders to maintaining and protecting AMIDS as a location dedicated only to advanced manufacturing, innovation and related economic activity. 3.8 The strategic significance of AMIDS, together with the various planning, legal, commercial and economic considerations that apply to the site, are material factors when assessing its suitability as a potential location for a school campus. Consequently, the evaluation of the Netherton option requires consideration not only of the physical characteristics of the site and its suitability to host a major school, but also of the implications for the wider AMIDS vision and the long-term economic objectives associated with the development were a school to be located on the site. 4. Site Location of a School 4.1 The potential location of a new school on AMIDS would need to be restricted to land directly adjacent to the airport runway as shown in the diagram below. This development parcel sits within the land earmarked for facilitating Airport expansion, reflecting its immediate adjacency to the airport and specifically the airport taxiway/runway which provides easy airside access, along with connection at the south end to land own by Glasgow Airport. There are three key issues that lead to this parcel of land being the principal area which could accommodate a school development of the scale of Trinity High School: - • Firstly, there is a requirement for a 20-acre site which is a sizeable plot in the context of the undeveloped areas within AMIDs. • Secondly, a significant proportion of the AMIDs site is identified as a floodplain. On the illustrative map the floodplain is identified in blue. Planning regulations will only support a restricted range of development on land affected by the floodplain (mainly industrial / parking etc) and a school would not fall within permitted development. • This land sits outwith those areas of AMIDS subject to direct legal restrictions through the S.32 agreement and JV agreement for which a school would fail to qualify as a permitted development.
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PUBLIC 4.2 Assuming the issue of the S.32 and JV restrictions were able to be set aside through negotiation, an alternative option to mitigate the land take from the airport expansion site (leaving a level of expansion area for Glasgow Airport) whilst seeking to minimise the impact on the core AMIDS JV site, is potentially possible by utilising the extremities of the AMIDS JV site which is on the floodplain and protecting the central core in and around NMIS and MMIC. As demonstrated in the revised plans below, the school site would be non-continuous and accommodated across two or three distinct land parcels dissected by the road network. The main building campus would continue to be located on the airport expansion land with parking, bus drop off zone and sports pitches located on the floodplain areas on the opposite side of the road network. A campus site that is dissected by a main road network is not however desirable from an educational perspective, it would also be likely attract the strongest objection in planning terms from SEPA due to its active use of the floodplain land, and the school building would continue to be located immediately adjacent to the runway. In these circumstances any planning application would require to be heard by Scottish Ministers and not the Council. These options therefore have limited added benefit and are likely to encounter increased deliverability challenges. Airport Runway Proposed future airport aircraft maintenance and other related uses (4 black outline buildings) National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS) - building already developed Medicines Manufacturing Innovation Centre (MMIC) – building already developed Tech Terrace Phase 1& 2 – Construction commencing on phase 1 2026 Areas subject to a range of active development negotiations Proposed school site
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PUBLIC 4.3 On this basis and for the purposes of the assessment process the indicative single site identified in pink has been utilised. It is considered that there would be no discernible variation in the overall assessment outlined in this paper by considering this option as opposed to any other variant within the available AMIDs development site. Airport Runway Proposed future airport aircraft maintenance and other related uses (4 black outline buildings) National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS) – building already developed Medicines Manufacturing Innovation Centre (MMIC) – building already developed Tech Terrace Phase 1& 2 – Construction commencing on phase 1 2026 Areas subject to a range of active development negotiations School parking and pitches Proposed school site Airport Runway Proposed future airport aircraft maintenance and other related uses (4 black outline buildings) National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS) – building already developed Medicines Manufacturing Innovation Centre (MMIC) – building already developed Tech Terrace Phase 1& 2 – Construction commencing on phase 1 2026 Areas subject to a range of active development negotiations School pitches Proposed school site School parking
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PUBLIC Noise Implications of the AMIDS Location 4.4 Aircraft noise is a significant consideration in the assessment of the Netherton (AMIDs) site due to its proximity to Glasgow Airport. The proposed site lies within approximately 200 - 300 metres of the taxiway and runway environment and is located within the airport's 65dB contour as outlined in the contour map below (indeed the whole of the AMIDS non-floodplain sector of the site falls within this noise contour). The decibel scale is the standard system for measuring sound intensity. The system is logarithmic rather than linear meaning that an increase of 10 dB represents a tenfold increase in sound intensity. So 60db has ten times the sound intensity of 50db. However, human perception of the same increase is that they perceive the noise as being twice as loud. So, 60 dB will be perceived as twice as loud as 50 dB, 70dB four times as loud, and 100dB as thirty-two times as loud. Aircraft noise contours are a recognised aviation planning tool used to map areas exposed to different levels of aircraft noise over a defined period. They are typically expressed as an equivalent continuous sound level (LAeq), which represents the average acoustic energy experienced over a specified time period (16-hour operational period), taking account of both the number and intensity of aircraft movements. A 65dB contour therefore indicates a very high level of aircraft noise exposure when assessed over an average operating day. 4.5 Whilst noise contours provide a measure of average exposure, they do not fully convey the magnitude of individual aircraft overflight, take-off and landing events. Peak noise levels associated with aircraft take-off and landing are substantially higher than the average contour values and, depending on aircraft type, atmospheric conditions and operational mode, can Potential school location in area of consistent 65 decibel range during the day
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PUBLIC regularly exceed 100dB and may, in some circumstances, approach 110dB or higher in locations in close proximity to runway operations. However, Glasgow Airport manage noise levels from aircraft in attempts to mitigate adverse effects on residents under/near the flightpath and they limit noise levels form departing aircraft such they should not exceed 94 dB LAMax during daytime hours. Notwithstanding such reduced noise levels that are targeted by Glasgow Airport, at this level occupants of a school building would still experience frequent high-intensity noise events throughout the school day, reflecting hundreds of aircraft movements over a typical day. The educational impact of such intermittent but significant noise events must therefore be distinguished from the average noise environment represented by contour mapping. 4.6 In response to designing and delivering a school on such a site, the school building would require to constructed to an exceptionally high standard of acoustic mitigation. This would be likely to include enhanced building envelope construction, substantial wall and roof insulation, specialist acoustic glazing, highly airtight construction techniques, acoustically treated building junctions and mechanical ventilation systems capable of maintaining acceptable internal environmental conditions without reliance on opening windows. The need to minimise noise ingress would also be expected to influence the overall building form, orientation and layout, with acoustic performance becoming a, if the not the primary design consideration that could inevitably constrain wider educational and placemaking influence on the design. External mitigation measures, such as acoustic earth bunds, noise barriers and strategic landscaping, would also be a necessity where practicable, although as outlined below would be of limited practical effect to an outdoor environment, particularly in relation to aircraft in the air and above such mitigation measures during take-off and landing. 4.7 Notwithstanding the implementation of extensive mitigation measures, achieving internal noise levels consistent with recognised educational standards would remain challenging. The World Health Organisation recommends that classroom noise levels should not exceed 35dB(A) in order to provide an appropriate environment for teaching and learning. Similarly, UK school acoustic guidance seeks to achieve indoor ambient noise levels of approximately 35dB LAeq within teaching spaces with lower 30dB LAeq required for areas for areas used by children with additional support and increased sensory sensitivity. 4.8 Modern acoustic design can, in favourable circumstances, achieve reductions in external noise transmission of around 40 dB or more through the building envelope, relying on closed windows and use of highly efficient mechanical ventilation. However, where external aircraft noise levels are exceptionally high, particularly during peak take-off, landing or nearby over- flight events, the reduction required to consistently achieve a 30dB - 35dB internal environment becomes increasingly challenging to achieve. Whilst average internal noise levels may be capable of being controlled through extensive mitigation, peak aircraft noise events are likely to remain very perceptible and significant noise events within the building and may periodically interrupt teaching and learning activity. An internation airport of the scale of Glasgow experiences hundreds of take-offs and landing across the day. The frequency and unpredictability of such events is a particular consideration in an educational setting where speech intelligibility, concentration and communication are fundamental requirements. 4.9 The challenges associated with the external environment are more significant. Unlike internal teaching spaces, external play areas, recreation spaces and outdoor learning environments offer limited opportunities for effective noise attenuation. Whilst acoustic bunding, barriers and landscape interventions can provide some reduction in noise exposure, they cannot eliminate aircraft noise generated from overhead flight paths or maximum thrust events at point of take-off. Consequently, pupils and staff using outdoor facilities would continue to experience aircraft noise events at levels substantially above those generally regarded as acceptable for educational environments.
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PUBLIC 4.10 For these reasons, aircraft noise has been identified as a key consideration in the overall site evaluation, and this would also apply broadly to any non-floodplain area within the AMIDs site. The issue extends beyond building design and construction costs, encompassing educational quality, pupil and staff experience, operational considerations and the long-term suitability of the site as a learning environment. The detailed assessment of these matters, including the implications of the site's location within the airport noise contour area and the extent of mitigation that would be required, is set out within the evaluation section of this report. 4.11 It is noteworthy that the proposed location of a major secondary school approximately 300 metres from an active international airport runway would represent a highly unusual form of development for which there are no readily identifiable UK precedents and only a very limited number of international examples. Furthermore, those examples that have been identified differ significantly in their circumstances and do not provide direct comparators to the proposal under consideration. The absence of comparable examples also extends to situations where long-established schools have remained in close proximity to airports that have subsequently expanded, further illustrating the rarity of such a relationship between a major educational establishment and a commercial airport operating environment. 4.12 Available research and case studies from academic, public health and aviation sources that have examined the effects of airport operations on educational establishments (for which there is significant international concern) generally focus on schools located at distances of between approximately 1.5 and 3 kilometres from operational runways, with examples at around 1 kilometre typically regarded as being at the closest proximity of the evidence base. When considered against this context, the proposed proximity of approximately 200 - 300 metres would fall significantly outside the range typically considered within published research, planning assessments and comparable developments. As such, the relationship between the proposed site and the operational runway environment would be regarded as extreme and highly atypical, potentially without direct precedent in a UK educational planning context. 4.13 Whilst the absence of directly comparable examples does not, in itself, demonstrate that development would be impossible, it is nevertheless a significant and relevant consideration. The lack of comparable developments suggests that, in practice, education authorities, planning authorities, airport operators and other stakeholders have generally avoided situations in which a major school campus is in such close proximity to airport operations, or where airport expansion would result in such a relationship. This may reasonably be viewed as reflecting the cumulative challenges associated with educational suitability, environmental impacts, accessibility, operational considerations and land-use compatibility. 4.14 Consequently, there is limited real-world evidence available to demonstrate the successful long-term operation of a secondary school within an environment comparable to that proposed at Netherton. The absence of an established benchmark reinforces the importance of carefully considering the range of educational, environmental, planning, economic and operational issues identified throughout this report. Taken collectively, these factors indicate that the proposal represents a highly exceptional and potentially unique development scenario and one that sits significantly outside established practice for both school estate planning and airport-related land-use planning.
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PUBLIC 5 Site Assessment Process 5.1 In March the OBC presented to the Board included a high-level assessment of the Netherton (AMIDs) site as part of the long list assessment process. To provide a more in depth exploration of the key issues linked to the consideration of site, full details are outlined in sections 6 – 9 of the report structured around the following key areas: - • Section 6: Educational Considerations – first and foremost the suitability of the site to accommodate a school that could deliver a high-quality educational experience is considered in detail. • Section 7: Site Deliverability Constraints – there are a range of key issues that present significant considerations in respect to the deliverability of the site and more significantly the deliverability of a school on the site. • Section 8: Economic Opportunity Cost – given the economic significance of AMIDs, locating a school on the site would have wider implications beyond delivery of the school itself and this wider consideration requires to be set out in detail. • Section 9: Financial Viability – there are a wide range of key issues which will impact on the direct cost of delivering a school at the AMIDs along with indirect costs all of which require to considered as part of the assessing the financial viability of the option. 6 Education Considerations 6.1 From an educational perspective, the Netherton (AMIDS) site presents several very significant constraints that raise fundamental concerns regarding its suitability as the location for a new school campus. These constraints extend beyond the physical characteristics of the site and have implications for learning and teaching, inclusion, health and wellbeing, community connectivity, accessibility and the wider pupil experience. Collectively, these factors strongly indicate that the site is poorly aligned with the aspirations of Renfrewshire Council's Learning Estate Strategy, Scotland's Learning Estate Strategy, or the Council's established approach to developing schools as community-focused assets that support educational, social and community outcomes. Aircraft Noise and the Learning Environment 6.2 A key consideration is the site's proximity to Glasgow Airport and its location immediately adjacent to the operational runway environment. The site lies within the airport's higher aircraft noise contour areas and would be subject to frequent and often unpredictable aircraft movements throughout the school day. Whilst acoustic mitigation measures could reduce the impact of this noise within the building, the site would remain exposed to a very high noise environment that would be significantly poorer in contrast to that experienced at a typical educational establishment. There is a relatively well-established body of evidence across a wide range of academic and aviation industry research studies that have considered the negative impacts of aviation related noise on children attending schools located much further away than the AMIDs site and which would be supportive of the broader education related concerns outlined below. 6.3 The implications for teaching and learning are considered substantial. Effective learning environments rely upon clear communication, concentration and minimal distraction. Regular aircraft movements have the significant potential to interrupt classroom activities, disrupt verbal communication and reduce speech intelligibility. Teachers may be required to pause delivery, repeat instructions or adjust learning activities during peak noise events, while pupils may experience reduced concentration and increased distraction. Whilst individual
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PUBLIC disruptions may be relatively short in duration, the cumulative impact over each day and ultimately an academic year would be significant given Glasgow Airport experiences circa 150 – 240 aircraft movements per day during school term period and peak period of movement occurring during school hours (approximately 60% of aircraft movements in the 8am – 4pm period). This broadly equates to an aircraft movement being experienced every 3 – 5 minutes depending upon the time of year. 6.4 The potential impact is particularly relevant in situations where concentration and communication are critical, including examinations, assessments, presentations and formal learning activities. Pupils may struggle to hear instructions from invigilators, maintain focus or perform to their full potential. This presents a significant risk to attainment and achievement. Furthermore, as Trinity High School is a denominational school, regular acts of worship, Mass and faith-based celebrations form an important part of school life. Noise disruption during such occasions would adversely impact the dignity and atmosphere of these events and has the potential to diminish the quality and atmosphere of such occasions. Inclusion and Additional Support Needs 6.5 The site characteristics also present particular challenges in relation to inclusion and accessibility. Many learners require calm, predictable and low-distraction environments to engage fully in learning. Pupils with hearing impairments, auditory processing difficulties, English as an Additional Language, neurodivergent conditions, sensory processing difficulties and other Additional Support Needs are likely to be disproportionately affected by a high- noise environment. 6.6 The unpredictable nature of aircraft noise creates a heightened risk of sensory overload and dysregulation for some learners and may adversely affect concentration, participation and engagement. The environmental conditions risk becoming an increasing barrier to regular attendance presenting a clear risk for overall school pupil experience, attainment and engagement. Over time, this could contribute to reduced participation and widening attainment gaps and consequently, rather than assisting, the new school itself has the potential to become a barrier to inclusion for certain groups of pupils, creating challenges in delivering equitable educational experiences and outcomes, contrary to the Council's commitment to equity, inclusion and improved outcomes. Health and Wellbeing 6.7 The wider environmental characteristics of the site must also be considered. Educational research consistently highlights the importance of creating calm, safe and nurturing environments that support emotional regulation, wellbeing and positive behaviour. The combination of aircraft noise, major transport infrastructure and an industrial setting presents challenges in achieving these outcomes and may adversely affect both pupil and staff wellbeing over time. Again, established research has demonstrated that children are less able to regulate the impact of significant and continued noise in comparison to adults and therefore are more susceptible to long term negative wellbeing impacts from continued exposure to such high noise levels. Building Design and Acoustic Mitigation 6.8 Whilst it is recognised that modern school buildings can incorporate significant acoustic mitigation measures, the level of intervention required at this location would be substantial. This is likely to include enhanced building envelope construction, specialist acoustic glazing, heavily insulated walls and roofs, acoustically sealed openings and high-specification mechanical ventilation systems to enable acceptable internal conditions to be maintained without reliance upon opening windows.
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PUBLIC 6.9 Such measures would have implications for both capital and lifecycle costs (covered in more detail below) but more critically would inevitably influence the overall design approach. Acoustic mitigation would become a primary design driver, potentially constraining wider educational, architectural and placemaking considerations. Furthermore, whilst significant reductions in internal noise levels can be achieved through modern construction methods, practical limitations remain, particularly during peak aircraft movements and within external areas where opportunities for mitigation are inherently more limited – therefore even within a high specification buildings peak noise events would remain a discernible issue within the school building. These concerns would apply equally to external amenity and teaching areas which will be limited by aircraft noise, with mitigation being extremely limited in this regard. Site Accessibility 6.10 The location of the site also presents several accessibility and operational challenges. As outlined elsewhere in this report, the site is geographically constrained by the White Cart Water and Black Cart Water, the operational airport environment and the surrounding industrial and commercial area. Collectively, these features limit the permeability of the site and create an environment that is likely to experience substantial traffic activity, particularly during peak periods. The introduction of a secondary school campus would generate significant additional travel demand at the beginning and end of the school day, coinciding with existing peak traffic periods and potentially increasing pressure on the surrounding transport network. 6.11 Access to the AMIDS area is currently limited, with the development primarily served from the north and south extremities of the site. In particular, the Bascule Bridge represents a constrained access point for all modes of travel and a significant pinch point for pedestrians and cyclists. It is anticipated that any proposal to locate a school within the site would require consideration of additional active travel infrastructure, potentially including a new pedestrian and cycle bridge across the White Cart River, similar to that previously delivered across the Black Cart. Whilst such infrastructure could improve walking and cycling connectivity, it would not fundamentally alter the restricted nature of access into the wider site or materially increase the number of vehicular access points available. 6.12 Notwithstanding the potential delivery of enhanced active travel connections, initial analysis indicates that a significant proportion of pupils would be eligible for home-to-school transport because of the site's location. Whilst reliance on school transport is not, in itself, a material concern, the combination of restricted access arrangements, longer travel distances for many pupils and limited opportunities for direct active travel would be likely to increase dependence on both dedicated school transport and private vehicle use. When considered alongside existing and future industrial, commercial and airport-related traffic movements, this would create a more complex operational environment for pupil drop-off, pick-up and daily access arrangements than would typically be expected at a secondary school location. 6.13 From an educational and operational perspective, the anticipated transport characteristics of the site are not considered favourable. The combination of constrained access points, high levels of transport dependency, reduced opportunities for independent travel and the potential for congestion at key arrival and departure times would present ongoing challenges for the efficient day-to-day operation of the campus. Furthermore, the site would offer fewer opportunities to encourage active travel, independence and sustainable travel behaviours when compared with locations more closely integrated within the communities served by the school.
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PUBLIC Community Connectivity and Community Hub Function 6.14 A further significant consideration relates to the site's relationship with the communities served by Trinity High School. Modern learning estate planning increasingly seeks to locate schools at the heart of their communities, enabling them to function as places of learning while also supporting family engagement, community use and lifelong learning opportunities. 6.15 The Netherton (AMIDS) site is physically separated from the residential communities that form the school's catchment area and surrounded by major industrial zones. Consequently, the school would be isolated from a community setting, less integrated into the everyday life of those communities and would be less able to fulfil the role of a locally accessible community asset. 6.16 Renfrewshire Council has consistently invested in schools as community hubs that support education, sport, culture, wellbeing, family engagement and community activity beyond the school day. Locating a school campus within an industrial environment adjacent to airport operations would significantly reduce accessibility for community groups, parents, carers and partner organisations and may adversely affect the attractiveness and viability of community use during evenings and weekends. Wider Pupil Experience and Community Infrastructure 6.17 The proposed site also lacks the supporting infrastructure typically associated with schools located within established communities. There are no significant community facilities, libraries, leisure opportunities, parks or local amenities within convenient walking distance. Whilst these facilities are not educational requirements in themselves, they often contribute positively to wider learning experiences, personal development and community engagement. 6.18 Schools located within communities frequently benefit from relationships with local community-based businesses, voluntary organisations and community services that support employability programmes, Developing the Young Workforce initiatives, volunteering opportunities within the community and wider achievement activities. The relative isolation of the AMIDS location reduces opportunities for such interaction and limits the school's connection with everyday community life. Albeit it is recognised it would connect to a thriving business district which could open obvious opportunities to link with future locating businesses to support pupil learning. However, such links are not dependent upon being geographically adjacent to AMIDs so proximity is of less relevance from this perspective. 6.19 The absence of wider community infrastructure may also affect opportunities for developing independence and life skills. Senior pupils often benefit from responsible access to community facilities and services, supporting confidence, decision-making and preparation for adulthood. Such opportunities would be considerably more limited within an industrial setting. Outdoor Learning, Recreation and Wellbeing 6.20 The quality and usability of outdoor spaces would also be affected by the site's location. Aircraft noise, transport activity and the wider industrial environment would significantly constrain opportunities for outdoor learning, recreation and wellbeing activities. This would limit the school's ability to maximise the educational benefits associated with outdoor learning and environmental education.
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PUBLIC 6.21 The implications are particularly relevant for physical education and outdoor sports activities. Frequent aircraft noise events have the potential to disrupt instruction and communication during outdoor lessons and would materially diminish the overall learning experience for both pupils and staff. 6.22 Similarly, outdoor spaces play an important role in supporting wellbeing, social interaction and recovery during breaks and lunchtimes. The quality of these experiences would be adversely affected by the surrounding environmental conditions. Unlike many schools situated within established communities, senior pupils would also have limited access to nearby amenities, resulting in greater reliance upon on-site facilities and increased pressure on social spaces within the campus. Overall Educational Assessment 6.23 Taken collectively, these factors strongly indicate that the Netherton (AMIDs) option would represent a materially constrained educational environment when compared with alternative site options. The cumulative impact of aircraft and industrial related noise, accessibility challenges, transport dependency, limited opportunities for active travel, reduced community connectivity and constraints on outdoor learning would create a range of educational disadvantages which are difficult to fully mitigate through design or operational measures. 6.24 The site's limited integration with the communities it would serve, and its inability to effectively support the Council's established community hub model further reinforce these concerns. Whilst the site could potentially accommodate a school from a purely physical perspective, it would not provide the same quality of educational, community and wellbeing outcomes that would ordinarily be expected or indeed desired from a major learning estate investment. 6.25 Accordingly, when assessed against the Council's educational objectives, learning estate aspirations and long-term vision for children, young people and communities, the Netherton (AMIDs) site is considered to represent a materially sub-optimal location for a new school campus. The educational disadvantages associated with the site are significant, wide-ranging and, in many cases, inherent to its location and surrounding operational environment. 6.26 It is not considered that any of the three sites shortlisted for the FBC demonstrate the same concerns and constraints outlined above and consequently it is assessed the Netherton (AMIDs) option would performs very poorly in comparison from an educational perspective. 7. Site Deliverability 7.1. Whilst the site benefits from several positive characteristics, including Council ownership, scale of development space, pre-existing enabling infrastructure and the existence of Planning Permission in Principle across the wider development area, there are several substantial deliverability challenges associated with its potential use as a major school campus. These challenges arise principally from existing legal, contractual and planning constraints relating to the permitted use of the land, together with the significant planning and regulatory considerations that would be expected to accompany any proposal for a school development at this location. In addition, it is anticipated that such a proposal would attract a high level of objections from a range of stakeholders on planning, operational, environmental, economic and strategic grounds. Individually, a number of these issues represent material considerations of substantial weight. Collectively, they present a complex and challenging development environment that would need to be successfully addressed and places at significant risk the prospect of a viable planning outcome being realistically secured.
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PUBLIC 7.2. The key deliverability issues are set out in detail throughout the remainder of this section. Taken together, these factors indicate that the site is subject to an unusually broad range of significant constraints, each of which has the potential to affect the feasibility, timescales, cost and ultimate deliverability of a school development. Planning Considerations: Development Plan 7.3 The adopted Renfrewshire Local Development Plan (2021) identifies the AMIDS site at Netherton as a Strategic Economic Investment Location (SEIL) under Policy E1. SEIL designations are intended to safeguard strategically important employment land and are primarily reserved for business, industrial and storage and distribution uses falling within Use Classes 4, 5 and 6. The policy requires that any alternative use must demonstrate that it would not have a significant adverse impact on the role, function or strategic purpose of the SEIL while also contributing positively to employment generation and economic development objectives. 7.4 Given the site's allocation within the Local Development Plan, a school development would represent a use that falls outwith the intended employment-related land use classes. Consequently, any planning application for a school on the site would be considered to be significantly contrary to the Development Plan. Under the relevant planning legislation and governance arrangements, applications categorised as significantly contrary to the Development Plan require determination by the full Council rather than the Planning and Climate Change Policy Board. 7.5 The AMIDS allocation forms part of Renfrewshire's strategic supply of land for employment purposes over the lifetime of the current Local Development Plan. Should part of the site be released for a non-employment use, there would be an expectation that equivalent employment land capacity would be identified elsewhere within Renfrewshire to offset the loss. Given the limited availability of alternative strategic employment sites within the authority area, it is likely that any compensatory land requirement would necessitate the identification of previously undeveloped land, potentially including Green Belt locations. Identifying, assessing and securing such replacement land would present an additional challenge and could become a significant consideration in the planning process. 7.6 More widely, the Netherton (AMIDS) site also raises likely tensions with a number of key National Planning Framework 4 policies, most notably Policy 14 (Design, Quality and Place), Policy 15 (Local Living and 20 Minute Neighbourhoods) and Policy 22 (Flood Risk and Water Management). Collectively, these policies seek to promote healthy, connected and sustainable places, support community-centred development and avoid the location of highly vulnerable development within areas affected by environmental constraints. Given the site's industrial character, separation from residential communities, reliance on transport infrastructure, airport-related environmental impacts and flood risk considerations, it is anticipated that these policies would form significant considerations in the assessment of any future planning application for a school development at this location. Planning Permission in Principle 7.7 Planning Permission in Principle has already been granted for the wider AMIDS development area, encompassing approximately 200 acres of land. The permission establishes a clear framework for the future development of the site and is supported by a range of planning conditions governing its implementation. A school development would not fall within the scope of the approved land uses and would therefore require a separate planning consent. Any such proposal would need to be assessed against both the wider planning context and the
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PUBLIC existing conditions associated with the Planning Permission in Principle. This introduces additional complexity and may result in more onerous planning requirements or mitigation measures than would be expected at alternative sites. Environmental Considerations – Noise and Flood Risk 7.8 Environmental considerations are likely to be a significant factor in the assessment of any planning application for a school within the Netherton site. In particular, issues relating to aircraft noise and flood risk are expected to require detailed assessment and consultation with relevant statutory agencies. Whilst the degree of impact may vary depending on the precise location of any proposed development within the wider AMIDS area, both matters are likely to represent material planning considerations. 7.9 In relation to noise, the site's proximity to Glasgow Airport and the operational runway environment would require comprehensive technical assessment and extensive mitigation measures. As set out elsewhere in this report, aircraft noise represents one of the principal constraints associated with the site. It is anticipated that Glasgow Airport would take a significant interest in any planning proposal, and it is possible that concerns may be raised regarding the suitability of locating a major educational establishment within such proximity to airport operations. Similarly, flood risk considerations would require detailed assessment and agreement with the relevant regulatory bodies. Any unresolved objection from a statutory consultee, particularly the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), could result in the application being referred to Scottish Ministers for determination following consideration by the Council. 7.10 Transport considerations are also likely to be a significant planning issue. During the determination of the Planning Permission in Principle for the wider AMIDS site, Transport Scotland required several conditions to be attached to the consent due to the potential impact of development traffic on nearby motorway junctions and the strategic road network. Given the concentration of travel demand associated with a secondary school, particularly during peak morning and afternoon periods, there is potential for similar concerns to arise in relation to a school proposal. Additional transport assessment, infrastructure enhancement and mitigation measures may therefore be required to address impacts on both the local and strategic transport networks. 7.11 Furthermore, planning policy places considerable emphasis on ensuring developments are accessible by public transport and provide safe, attractive and convenient walking and cycling routes. Whilst improvements to active travel infrastructure may be technically achievable, the constrained nature of the site and limited access arrangements would likely necessitate a range of additional interventions, some of which could be complex and costly to deliver. This may include significant enhancements to pedestrian and cycle connectivity, including potential infrastructure improvements associated with crossings over the White Cart Water (which would require to be a structure capable of opening to accommodate river traffic) and access via the Bascule Bridge. 7.12 From a planning and placemaking perspective, modern educational facilities are generally expected to be integrated within the communities they serve and contribute positively towards the creation of sustainable and connected neighbourhoods. The industrial character and relative isolation of the AMIDS location would not align strongly with these principles and would therefore form a relevant consideration in the overall planning assessment. Potential for Planning Objections 7.13 As highlighted throughout this report, the location of a major secondary school in close proximity to an operational airport and within a strategic industrial district would represent a
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PUBLIC highly unusual if not unique planning proposition. The range of issues associated with the site, including educational, transport, environmental, economic and strategic considerations, is likely to attract a high level of interest from a broad range of stakeholders. 7.14 It is therefore anticipated that any planning application would attract objections from a variety of parties, including statutory consultees, the school and local communities, staff interests, aviation interests, existing and prospective AMIDS occupiers, economic development agencies and other organisations with an interest in the future development of the district. Whilst the specific grounds of any future objections cannot be predicted with certainty, the breadth and significance of the issues identified throughout this report suggest that any application would be subject to a substantial level of scrutiny and related planning objections. 7.15 In addition, there may be implications arising from the Health and Safety Executive's consultation arrangements relating to hazardous installations and Control of Major Accident Hazards (COMAH) considerations in the wider area. The introduction of a sensitive land use, such as a school, has the potential to influence the future development options available on surrounding land. In particular, the presence of a school could restrict or constrain certain industrial, manufacturing or storage uses that might otherwise be acceptable within a strategic employment location. This, in turn, could become a source of concern for existing and prospective occupiers and may form part of the wider planning and economic development considerations associated with the site. 7.16 This wide range of matters represent more than simply technical planning matters. They are a significant range of major planning issues that would not be typically experienced in a single application and would consequently be considered a highly complex planning application to navigate with a higher risk of failing to attain approval. Even if securing planning permission was achievable, the scale of assessment, mitigation and compliance activity likely to be required would present a significant project risk. 7.17 Taken collectively, the planning, environmental, transport, safety and strategic policy issues associated with the site present a significant level of complexity and uncertainty. Whilst each issue would require detailed consideration on its individual merits, their cumulative effect creates a substantial deliverability risk and represents a material factor in the assessment of the site's overall suitability for a new school campus. Legal and Contractual Constraints 7.18 As outlined elsewhere in this report, the AMIDS development is subject to a range of legal, contractual and commercial agreements that have been established to safeguard its strategic purpose as a location dedicated to advanced manufacturing, innovation and related employment-generating activities. The development of a major school campus would not align with the intended use of the site as defined within these arrangements. Consequently, progression of a school proposal would require the Council to engage with the relevant parties to seek agreement to vary, amend or otherwise set aside existing provisions. Such negotiations may also have financial implications, including the potential requirement for compensatory arrangements or other forms of settlement. There can be no certainty that agreement to any variation would be secured, and, given the purpose for which the protections were originally established, there is a significant risk that the necessary consents would not be forthcoming. 7.19 Whilst some of the existing agreements may not extend directly to all land parcels within the wider AMIDS area, the strategic implications of introducing a major non-employment use would require careful consideration. The AMIDS vision has consistently been promoted as a dedicated advanced manufacturing and innovation district, and the introduction of a school has the potential to alter the character and perception of that proposition. In such
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PUBLIC circumstances, there is a risk that stakeholders with legal, commercial or strategic interests in AMIDS may consider that the proposal conflicts with the objectives and commitments underpinning the development. This could give rise to challenge, dispute or other forms of formal intervention aimed at protecting those interests. 7.20 In addition to site-specific agreements, the Council has developed and secured support for AMIDS through a series of strategic business cases and investment approvals involving the Glasgow City Region Cabinet, the Scottish Government and the UK Government. These approvals have been based on the delivery of AMIDS as a major economic development project intended to generate employment, investment and economic growth through a dedicated advanced manufacturing and innovation proposition. Should the Council seek to utilise a significant proportion of the site for an alternative purpose, it would be necessary to engage with the relevant funding and governance partners to establish whether such a change was compatible with the objectives and assumptions that informed previous investment decisions. This process may also require consideration of any financial, contractual or governance implications arising from a material departure from the originally approved development approach. 7.21 The requirement to secure agreement across a range of organisations introduces a significant layer of complexity and uncertainty into the deliverability of the site. Given the strategic importance of AMIDS, its designation as a nationally significant economic growth project, and the substantial public investment committed to its delivery, there is a credible risk that stakeholders will be reluctant to support changes that could be perceived as diluting or undermining the established vision for the district. Whilst the position of individual organisations cannot be prejudged, the necessity to secure multiple consents and potentially address a range of legal, commercial and financial issues would present a material project risk. In practical terms, this creates a level of uncertainty that would not typically be associated with alternative site options and further impacts upon the overall assessment of the site's deliverability and suitability for progression through the Full Business Case process. 7.22 The cumulative effect of all the deliverability constraints set out above gives rise to a substantial level of risk and significant uncertainty regarding the ability to successfully progress the project through the necessary legal, planning and development processes. Consequently, the current assessment is that the deliverability of the site as a location for a new school campus is subject to significant and complex risk, materially undermining its viability as an option for progression through the Full Business Case process. Again, although the other FBC shortlisted options will have their own specific challenges, at this stage there are none that are considered to materially undermine the potential of each site, and none of the FBC options have a multidimensional range of deliverability challenges like Netherton and consequently they each present a significantly less complex deliverability profile than Netherton. 8. Economic Impact - Opportunity Cost 8.1 City Deal Economic Case The Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District Scotland (AMIDS) project formed a key component of the Glasgow City Region (GCR) City Deal programme and was approved on the basis of its anticipated contribution to a range of strategic economic outcomes. As set out within the Programme Business Case approved by the GCR Cabinet and both the Scottish and UK Governments in 2019, the project was expected to generate substantial economic benefits through increased Gross Value Added (GVA), net additional employment, private sector investment and associated tax revenues.
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PUBLIC 8.2 The project was designed to unlock the economic potential of a strategically important development site through the delivery of major infrastructure improvements, enhanced connectivity and the release of development-ready land capable of accommodating advanced manufacturing, innovation and related business use. In addition to the infrastructure investment itself, the approved business case projected the following development outcomes: Development Outputs • 59.6 hectares of vacant and derelict land brought back into productive use. • 11.4 hectares of remediated land. • Approximately 88,270 square metres of industrial floorspace. • Approximately 35,011 square metres of office floorspace. • Approximately 1,760 square metres of food and drink related floorspace. Private Sector Investment • £122.9 million of private sector investment (non-discounted). Employment Benefits • 635 net direct construction jobs, comprising: o 160 jobs directly associated with infrastructure delivery; and o o 475 jobs associated with development enabled or accelerated by the project. • 1,755 net direct operational jobs across the City Region. The project was also expected to improve connectivity, support labour market mobility and enhance the attractiveness of the area to inward investment. As outlined elsewhere in this report, the delivery of the Glasgow Airport Investment Area (GAIA) infrastructure programme was instrumental in enabling the establishment of the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS), the Medicines Manufacturing Innovation Centre (MMIC) and the wider AMIDS proposition. 8.3 Progress Achieved to Date Since completion of the GAIA infrastructure programme, significant progress has been made in establishing AMIDS as a nationally significant location for advanced manufacturing and innovation activity. The formation of the AMIDS Joint Venture partnership, delivery of the flagship NMIS and MMIC facilities, and progression of speculative commercial development have all contributed to strengthening the market position and profile of the district. The Tech Terrace development is currently progressing and is anticipated to be delivered during over the course of 2026 - 2028. More recently, the award of Investment Zone and Tax Site status by the UK and Scottish Governments has further enhanced the attractiveness of the location to prospective investors and occupiers. In addition, the project has acted as a catalyst for significant follow-on private sector investment within neighbouring commercial locations, most notably at Westway Business Park.
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PUBLIC 8.4 Strategic Importance of AMIDS The strategic importance of AMIDS was further reinforced in November 2025 when the UK Government identified the project as one of only four UK-wide Priority Investment Projects. This designation significantly elevated the national and international profile of AMIDS and recognised its potential to contribute to long-term economic growth through the attraction of advanced manufacturing, research and innovation-related investment. Taken together, the progress achieved to date, the scale of public investment committed, the establishment of nationally significant innovation assets and the emergence of related private sector development provide early evidence supporting the long-term economic rationale set out within the original business case. 8.5 Importance of Maintaining a Clear Market Proposition As outlined previously, the National Wealth Fund (NWF) has been appointed to coordinate support for the future development and acceleration of AMIDS. Engagement undertaken to date has recognised the significant strengths of the district and identified substantial opportunities for future growth. A key recommendation arising from this work has been the importance of maintaining and strengthening a clear, consistent and unambiguous market proposition. In particular, emphasis has been placed upon ensuring that all stakeholders promote a coherent and aligned vision for AMIDS, thereby maximising market confidence, enhancing international engagement and supporting investment decisions by prospective occupiers. 8.6 Strategic Risk Associated with Alternative Land Uses In this context, the introduction of a major non-industrial use within the AMIDS development area, including a school campus, would present a significant strategic consideration. The progression of such a proposal through the later stages of the business case process is at high risk of creating uncertainty regarding the long-term land use strategy and purpose of the district. Given the importance attached to maintaining a focused advanced manufacturing and innovation proposition, any proposal that alters the established narrative for AMIDS would require careful consideration of the potential implications for stakeholder confidence, market perception and future investment activity. 8.7 Potential Impact on Market Confidence The inclusion of a major educational facility within the development area would represent a substantial departure from the specialist economic role that has consistently been promoted for the district. Such a change by the Council would introduce uncertainty regarding the future direction of AMIDS and the degree to which the original vision remains aligned across stakeholders. This is particularly relevant given recent advice emphasising the value of maintaining a clear and consistent proposition for international markets. Any ambiguity regarding the long-term development intent for the site could potentially weaken the strength of the investment proposition and reduce confidence amongst existing and prospective occupiers.
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PUBLIC 8.8 Implications for Future Economic Growth AMIDS operates within a highly competitive national and international investment environment. At this stage in its development, clarity of purpose, consistency of messaging and confidence in long-term land use objectives are critically important factors in attracting inward investment and supporting commercial decision-making. Consequently, proposals that create uncertainty regarding the established vision for the district have the potential to adversely affect market perception and reduce the ability of AMIDS to maximise the economic benefits anticipated through the approved business case. While the extent of any impact cannot be quantified with certainty, the potential implications for future investment attraction and economic development represent a material consideration. 8.9 Reduction in Development Capacity A school campus would occupy a significant proportion of the available development land within AMIDS, estimated to be approximately 20% of the overall development area. This would reduce the quantum of land available to accommodate advanced manufacturing, innovation and related commercial activity and would therefore reduce the overall economic capacity of the district. Whilst replacement employment land may require to be identified elsewhere through future planning processes, it is unlikely that alternative sites would replicate the unique combination of strategic infrastructure, innovation assets, airport connectivity, Investment Zone status and established market positioning that exists within AMIDS. 8.10 Wider Economic Opportunity Cost Beyond the loss of development land itself, a more significant consideration is the potential impact that a school development could have on the long-term strategic positioning of AMIDS. The district has been established as a dedicated location for advanced manufacturing and innovation-led investment, with substantial effort and public investment committed to developing a distinct market identity. If that distinct positioning were weakened, there is a risk that future development could increasingly compete as a more conventional industrial or business location rather than as a specialist innovation district. While such a scenario could still generate investment, employment and economic activity, the nature and scale of those benefits is likely to differ, potentially significantly from those originally envisaged within the business case. In particular, there may be a greater reliance on business relocation and displacement from elsewhere within the region rather than the attraction of new inward investment and innovation-led growth along with overall a lower level of volume and economic value associated with new employment. Such an outcome would reduce the additionality of the project and could materially affect the long-term economic returns anticipated through public sector investment. Beyond the economic benefits liked to construction activity associated with the initial GAIA infrastructure investment the economic net present value of AMIDs once established as an operational district was valued in the region of £465 million. The potential fall in this future economic value is an important indirect cost for the Netherton site option, and this is discussed in more detail in section 9 below.
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PUBLIC 8.11 Overall Economic Assessment The potential economic opportunity cost arising from the use of part of the AMIDS site for a school campus represents a significant and unique consideration within the appraisal of the Netherton option. Unlike many other site-related constraints identified within this report, the potential impacts extend beyond the school development itself and relate to the wider economic function, strategic positioning and future growth potential of a nationally significant economic asset. None of the three sites already shortlisted for the FBC have any similar wider economic consequences of note for consideration. Accordingly, the potential implications for economic growth, inward investment, employment creation and delivery of the approved AMIDS vision should be regarded as a material factor and likely disbenefit, unique to this site option, in the overall assessment of the site's suitability and viability. 9. Financial Viability 9.1 The delivery of major capital projects typically requires consideration of costs beyond the core construction budget. These additional costs can arise from a range of factors, including abnormal ground conditions, environmental mitigation requirements, planning obligations, infrastructure improvements, legal constraints and contractual matters. The nature and scale of such costs vary considerably between sites and are often influenced by the complexity of the development environment. Accordingly, the overall financial viability of any option must be assessed on the basis of both the direct construction costs and the wider costs necessary to enable successful delivery. 9.2 In the case of the Netherton (AMIDS) site, there are an unusually large number of factors that have the potential to materially increase project costs and adversely affect value for money. These factors include both direct costs associated with the delivery of a school on the site and indirect costs arising from the wider legal, contractual, planning and economic implications of introducing a school into a nationally significant economic development project. Collectively, these factors create a financial risk profile that is significantly more complex and substantial than would typically be expected for a school development project. 9.3 Direct Cost Considerations Several significant direct cost factors have already been identified in relation to the Netherton site. 9.4 Abnormal Ground Conditions and Acoustic Mitigation The site is known to be characterised by challenging ground conditions. Previous major developments within AMIDS have required piling solutions extending to depths of approximately 40 metres, and there is an expectation that similar conditions will exist across other parts of the site. In addition, as outlined elsewhere in this report, the site's proximity to Glasgow Airport would necessitate an exceptionally high level of acoustic mitigation, including enhanced building fabric specifications, specialist glazing systems, mechanical ventilation infrastructure and associated design measures. Taken together, these abnormal construction requirements are currently estimated to conservatively increase baseline construction costs by approximately 11%, equating to potential additional cost of around £15 million based on projected construction costs. In addition, there is the likelihood that the additional technical measures would also increase the complexity and costs associated with long term lifecycle maintenance arrangements, albeit it is difficult at this stage to set such additional costs out with confidence.
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PUBLIC 9.5 Active Travel and Pedestrian Infrastructure The site's constrained accessibility arrangements would likely require the delivery of additional active travel infrastructure to support safe and attractive pedestrian and cycle access. In particular, previous analysis has identified the likely need for a new pedestrian and cycle bridge across the White Cart Water to provide an acceptable alternative connection to the existing Bascule Bridge route. Based on the costs associated with comparable infrastructure delivered elsewhere within the area, a broad estimate of approximately £3 million would be anticipated for such works for a basic bridge structure. However, as this would require to be a structure capable of opening to accommodate river traffic, this would add significant complexity and cost, not unreasonably increasing the cost range to potentially in excess of £5 million - £6 million. 9.6 Planning Conditions and Mitigation Requirements Any planning consent for a school at Netherton would be expected to be accompanied by a range of planning conditions and mitigation requirements. As outlined elsewhere in this report, the proposal would likely generate significant scrutiny in relation to noise, flooding, transport infrastructure and strategic road network impacts. Should planning approval be achievable, it is reasonable to anticipate that extensive mitigation measures would be required to address these matters. Such measures could include enhanced flood protection works, transport network improvements, active travel infrastructure, public transport enhancements and potentially wider interventions to address impacts on surrounding road infrastructure. At the current stage it is not possible to estimate these costs with any degree of certainty. The scale of any mitigation would be dependent upon the findings of detailed technical assessments, the positions adopted by statutory consultees and the specific planning conditions ultimately imposed. However, it is clear that the planning-related cost exposure would sit in addition to the abnormal construction costs already identified and could represent a significant further premium on the overall project cost. 9.7 Taken together, the currently identifiable direct cost implications are already substantial. The estimated cost premium associated with abnormal ground conditions, enhanced acoustic mitigation and pedestrian infrastructure improvements is approximately £18 million before allowance is made for any additional planning-related mitigation requirements. This represents an unusually high level of abnormal cost for a school development project and is significantly greater than would typically be expected at comparable sites. 9.8 Indirect Costs Whilst the direct cost implications associated with the Netherton (AMIDS) site are significant, the more substantial financial risk arises from the range of indirect costs and liabilities which could potentially be triggered by the development of a school within the AMIDS area. These indirect costs do not relate directly to school construction activity but arise from the extensive legal agreements, funding arrangements, partnership structures and strategic economic commitments that have been established over the past decade to support the delivery of the AMIDS vision. The precise financial implications cannot be determined with certainty at this stage and would ultimately depend on negotiations with relevant stakeholders, interpretation of legal agreements and the extent to which any variation from the approved AMIDS proposition was considered acceptable. Nevertheless, given the scale of public investment and the strategic nature of the commitments already entered into, it is both reasonable and necessary to recognise the potential magnitude of these risks within any assessment of financial viability and value for money.
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PUBLIC 9.9 The Council has entered a range of grant, partnership and development agreements with organisations including the Glasgow City Region Cabinet, Glasgow City Council (indirectly with the Scottish Government and UK Government via the City Region grant arrangements), Scottish Enterprise and private sector development partners. Collectively, these arrangements have been established based on delivering AMIDS as a dedicated advanced manufacturing and innovation district. The introduction of a major non-compatible land use has the potential to create circumstances in which existing agreements require to be varied, renegotiated or, in some instances, could trigger contractual remedies, repayment provisions or compensation claims. 9.10 Whilst it is not possible to prejudge the position that individual stakeholders may adopt, it is reasonable to assume that organisations which have made substantial financial commitments to AMIDS would seek to ensure that their interests are protected and that any variation from the approved strategic vision does not adversely impact the intended outcomes of their investment. 9.11 The principal areas of potential financial exposure are outlined below. 9.12 City Deal Grant Funding (£39 million) The GAIA infrastructure project was supported through approximately £39 million of City Deal funding linked directly to the approved Programme Business Case. Grant agreements contain provisions that allow for recovery of funding where grant conditions are not complied with or where approved outcomes are not delivered. Whilst any assessment would ultimately be a matter for the grant providers, there is a credible risk that a substantial departure from the approved land use strategy could lead to grant compliance concerns. In a reasonable worst- case scenario, this could expose the Council to requests for partial repayment of grant funding and associated interest, with the theoretical maximum exposure extending to the full grant value if a view was taken the AMIDs proposition and original business case had been fundamentally undermined. 9.13 Scottish Enterprise Funding (circa £10 million) Additional Scottish Enterprise funding provided to the Council has supported projects including the district heating network and Tech Terrace development at AMIDs (although not provided to the Council it should be noted that SE also provided funding along with the Scottish government to fund the £65 million to support the location of NMIS and are therefore heavily invested in the AMIDS distict). These investments have been advanced based on the AMIDS proposition and are linked to agreements restricting future development and land-use objectives. Whilst the extent of any financial exposure cannot be determined at this stage, there is potential for Scottish Enterprise to seek the recovery of funding, in whole or in part, if a fundamental change to the development proposition, such as introducing a major schools facility, was considered to undermine the basis upon which their significant financial support was originally provided. 9.14 Joint Venture and Commercial Partnership Arrangements The development of a school within the AMIDS area would be contrary to the strategic intent of the Joint Venture arrangements currently established to deliver the district. Depending on the location of the development and interpretation of the relevant contractual provisions, there is potential for disputes, renegotiation of partnership arrangements, compensation liabilities or the need to establish alternative delivery structures. Whilst it is not possible to accurately quantify these risks at this stage, the potential financial implications could be significant.
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PUBLIC 9.15 Non-Domestic Rates Retention Income Through Investment Zone and Tax Site status, AMIDS has the potential to generate substantial future retained non-domestic rates income associated with qualifying advanced manufacturing and innovation occupiers. Current modelling suggests that this future income stream could be worth in the region of £25 million over the relevant retention period. A school would not qualify for these arrangements, and more importantly, any weakening of the AMIDS proposition could reduce the extent to which future qualifying advanced manufacturing based development is realised. There is therefore a material risk that the future value of the anticipated retention income could be significantly reduced or indeed lost completely if no qualifying development occurs. 9.16 Economic Opportunity Cost As outlined in Section 8, the approved GAIA/AMIDS Business Case identified substantial long-term economic benefits arising from the successful delivery of a dedicated advanced manufacturing and innovation district. The economic assessment of the operational period of AMIDS over a 25 year period identified a Net Present Value (NPV) of approximately £465 million attributable to the long-term economic activity generated by the development. Whilst it is not possible to quantify with precision the impact that a school development may have on future AMIDS economic performance, it is reasonable to conclude that a reduction in available development land, coupled with any weakening of the market proposition, would have a negative impact on future economic performance. The scale of that impact is inherently uncertain and would require detailed economic modelling to robustly assess. However, the order of magnitude involved is sufficiently significant that it is useful to consider a range of illustrative scenarios. For example: • A modest 10% reduction in anticipated economic output would equate to an economic opportunity cost of approximately £47 million. • A realistic case scenario of a 25% reduction would equate to approximately £116 million. • A reasonable worst case 40% reduction would equate to approximately £186 million. Given the strategic importance of maintaining the integrity of the AMIDS proposition to the future success of development (as recently re-enforced by the NWF), it would not be unreasonable for a weighted economic opportunity cost scenario in the order of £100 million to be viewed as a realistic outcome, recognising that the actual impact could ultimately be higher or lower. 9.17 Overall Financial Assessment Taken collectively, the Netherton (AMIDS) option presents a financial risk profile that is exceptionally negative when compared with a typical school development project. The site is already known to be associated with direct non-standard costs estimated at approximately £20 million, before consideration of potentially significant transport, flood mitigation, road network enhancement and planning condition costs that remain unquantified at this stage. When these direct costs are considered alongside the potential indirect financial exposures associated with existing grant arrangements, partnership agreements, future rates retention income and economic opportunity costs, the overall financial risk implications become substantially greater. Whilst not all risks would necessarily crystallise, and it would be inappropriate at this stage to aggregate every potential exposure into a single cost estimate,
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PUBLIC it is clear the cumulative scale of financial risk associated with the site is materially greater than that which would ordinarily be expected for a school development. Indeed, on the basis of the issues currently identified, it is reasonable to conclude that the additional direct and indirect costs associated with overcoming the site's constraints could comfortably exceed the value of the core school construction project itself. In practical terms, there is a realistic prospect that the overall financial impact of proceeding with the Netherton option could more than double the effective economic cost of delivering a new school when compared with a more conventional development site. Although the existing shortlisted FBC sites will have their own respective direct cost issues to deal, it is unlikely they will be of a similar scale to Netherton given its need for high cost noise attenuation construction specification and known challenging ground conditions. In addition, none of the FBC options will be accompanied by material indirect costs and economic opportunity costs associated with Netherton which have the potential to be exponentially significant. Accordingly, whilst further work would be required to refine and validate these projections, the evidence available at this stage indicates that the Netherton option is likely to perform exceptionally poorly in both affordability and value-for-money terms. The combination of substantial abnormal costs, significant financial uncertainty, potential contractual liabilities and major economic opportunity costs materially undermines the financial viability of the option and places it at a significant disadvantage when compared with the alternative shortlisted sites. 10. Governance Requirements 10.1 While it is a matter for the Education and Children’s Policy Board to select which sites can be shortlisted for consideration for the FBC stage, the Board cannot overturn or set aside decisions made by other boards or by Full Council. Similarly, they cannot instruct officers to act contrary to such decisions. 10.2 The various legal and partnership agreements are as detailed in sections 3 and 9 of this report. Each of those agreements were as a result of decisions by Full Council or relevant other boards. Should this Board wish to proceed with the Netherton site as a shortlisted site, this would require a decision by Full Council to set aside those previous decisions. Officers would be required to bring a report to the next appropriate meeting of Full Council. Such a report would require to set out the detailed financial and legal risks arising from such a decision. Accordingly, the recommendation from officers is likely to be that this be considered by Council as an exempt report. 10.3 Moreover, to allow preparation of such a report, officers would be required to engage with each of the affected partner organisations (e.g. the UK and Scottish Governments, Scottish Enterprise etc.) to establish their positions on a proposal to locate a school on the site rather than for the agreed development purposes. Such information would be required to allow a complete assessment of the risks faced by the Council in order that Members could be fully informed when considering the matter. ______________________________________________________________________________ Implications of this report 1. Financial Should a decision be made to proceed with the Netherton site as a shortlisted site, a number of external consultant commissions will be required to be
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PUBLIC conducted at the FBC stage which have not been costed and included in the required development budget. This will increase the required development budget sought. 2. HR and Organisational Development None. 3. Community/Council Planning Our Renfrewshire is thriving - New, and improved, learning estate assets will allow our children and young people to thrive with the best possible infrastructure to support their school experience. Staff, and community users will benefit from modern and inclusive environments. Reshaping our place, our economy and our future - The learning estate shall be appropriately scaled and equipped to meet curriculum expectations and deliver an appropriate learning and teaching experience for all. 4. Legal Should a decision be made to proceed with the Netherton site as a shortlisted site, detailed renegotiation of various contractual arrangements would be required. Moreover, there is a significant risk of legal action by affected parties. 5. Property/Assets These projects will deliver significant improvements to the learning estate, extending the life of assets, and improving the experience of young people, staff, and the wider community. 6. Information Technology Digital improvements will be delivered through the learning estate strategy, where access to technology for all, will be a key priority for projects. 7. Equality and Human Rights The Recommendations contained within this report have been assessed in relation to their impact on equalities and human rights. No negative impacts on equality groups or potential for infringement of individuals’ human rights have been identified arising from the recommendations contained in the report. However, should a decision be made to proceed with the Netherton site as a shortlisted site, a detailed assessment would be required given the potential impact on pupils, particularly pupils with ASN, identified with the report.
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PUBLIC 8. Health and Safety None. 9. Procurement Any procurement work required is conducted in collaboration with the Council’s Procurement team and adheres to appropriate regulations. 10. Risk Should a decision be made to proceed with the Netherton site as a shortlisted site, several significant financial and legal risks may arise as set out in the report. 11. Privacy Impact None. 12. Climate Risk New, and improved, learning estate assets will directly contribute to the Council’s journey towards net zero. Sustainability is a key concept of all projects. 13. Children’s Rights When considering any future school provision, the impact this will have on children is a key consideration, and any work will be based around the direct needs of children to allow their education experience to thrive. Whilst children have a right to choose where they wish to attend school in collaboration with their parents, the Council’s admissions policy applies to ensure that schools that are oversubscribed can be managed. 14. Cosla Policy Position None. Children’s Services JL/GMcL April 2026 Author: Jack Lochans – Strategic Learning Estate Manager jack.lochans@renfrewshire.gov.uk
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PUBLIC APPENDIX 1 Historical Development of the Research Evidence Base on Aircraft Noise and Schoolchildren 1. Over the last three decades, a substantial body of international research has examined whether chronic aircraft noise affects children's health, wellbeing and educational development. 2. The evidence has been wide ranging and has evolved from pioneering natural experiments, large multinational studies and formal evidence reviews conducted for the World Health Organization (WHO). Collectively, the research has established that concerns regarding the impacts of aircraft noise on schoolchildren have validity, are evidence-based and supported by a credible scientific literature. 3. To provide exemplars from the wide range of research that has considered the issue from many perspectives, this appendix outlines several significant points of interest in the historical timeline of this field of research stretching from 1990 through to the 2020’s covering: - • landmark research providing primary evidence, • major work progressed by the World Health organisation which utilised a wide breadth of available evidence available to develop influential WHO guidance. • More recent systematic research demonstrating an ongoing interest in this area. 4. Landmark Pimary Research Landmark primary research are generally major studies that establish foundation evidence and there are two key studies recognised, for different reasons, as the principal landmark studies in this area of research. The Munich Study 5. The first recognised major landmark milestone was the Munich Airport Study in Germany during the 1990s. This study is widely regarded as one of the strongest investigations in the field because it took advantage of a unique "natural experiment" created when the old Munich Airport closed and a new airport opened at a new location some 28 kms away. As a consequence of the relocation, researchers were able to follow children before and after the relocation, comparing those who lost aircraft noise exposure with those who became newly exposed. The study found that children newly exposed to aircraft noise experienced declines in reading ability, long-term memory and speech perception, while children whose exposure ceased demonstrated improvements in these same areas. Because the changes in cognitive performance occurred alongside changes in aircraft noise exposure, the study provided unusually strong evidence of a causal relationship. The findings were published in the highly respected journal Psychological Science and remain highly influential today. The RANCH Project 6. Building on the Munich findings, subsequent research in the early 2000s formed the landmark RANCH (Road Traffic and Aircraft Noise Exposure and Children's Cognition and Health) project, which has became the most influential international study in this area. Conducted around Heathrow Airport (United Kingdom), Schiphol Airport (Netherlands) and Madrid-Barajas Airport (Spain), the project involved approximately 2,844 children aged 9–10 years from around 90 schools. Published in The Lancet and related peer-reviewed journals, RANCH found that increasing levels of aircraft noise at school were associated with poorer
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PUBLIC reading comprehension, impaired recognition memory and higher levels of annoyance. Importantly, the study identified exposure-response relationships, meaning educational outcomes tended to deteriorate progressively as aircraft noise exposure increased. RANCH provided large-scale internationally diverse confirmation of the patterns first observed in Munich and is generally considered the cornerstone evidence base informing later policy and guideline development. 7. Following RANCH, additional studies from the same research groups and others, further investigated cognitive development, memory, attention, annoyance, wellbeing and mental health outcomes in children exposed to aircraft noise. While not every outcome showed consistent effects, the evidence repeatedly demonstrated associations with reading performance, memory and annoyance. Longer-term follow-up studies also suggested that these effects could persist over time, strengthening research confidence that the findings were not simply products of short-term statistical exercises. World Health Organisation 8. In response to the growing body of evidence, the World Health Organization (WHO) commissioned a series of systematic evidence reviews to underpin its Environmental Noise Guidelines for the European Region (2018). A systematic review looks across the existing research evidence base developed over many years to established an overall synthesised view of the evidence. The WHO review of environmental noise and cognition concluded that there was moderate-quality evidence linking aircraft noise exposure to adverse effects on children's reading comprehension and long-term memory. The review identified the Munich Airport Study and the RANCH programme among the most important studies supporting these conclusions. The WHO also recognised broader evidence linking environmental noise with annoyance, sleep disturbance and other health impacts. 9. Based on this evidence, WHO issued a strong recommendation that aircraft noise exposure should be reduced stating that exposure above specified levels is associated with adverse health effects. Eindhoven Study 10. More recently, the 2022 Eindhoven University of Technology systematic literature review synthesised findings from 36 studies examining environmental noise and non-auditory health effects in children. Although not carrying the same academic weight of significance as the Munich, RANCH or WHO references above, the more recent nature of this work highlights the ongoing interest in this area. 11. The literatue review concluded that noise exposure, including aircraft noise, is significantly associated with psychophysiological effects, cognitive development outcomes, mental- health-related outcomes, wellbeing dimensions and sleep effects. Particular evidence was identified for impacts on reading, memory, language performance, mathematics performance, cognitive functioning and annoyance. The review concluded that children represent a particularly sensitive population because of their ongoing physical and mental development and confirmed that the body of evidence accumulated since the Munich and RANCH studies remains broadly consistent. 12. Overall, the body of research over several decades and captured significanty in the Munich, through RANCH, to WHO evidence reviews demonstrates a progressively consistent and strengthening evidence base. While some uncertainty remains regarding the magnitude of effects and the mechanisms involved, there is now a substantial and internationally recognised body of research supporting the conclusion that chronic aircraft noise exposure can adversely affect children's wellbeing, reading performance, memory and cognitive development in school environments.
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PUBLIC APPENDIX 2 AMIDS Supporting Background 13. Where is AMIDS (Netherton Road) From a spatial perspective, AMIDS occupies a geographically contained site, enclosed by the Black Cart and White Cart Rivers, Glasgow Airport's operational infrastructure including the main runway, and the wider airport estate. Access to the district is primarily achieved through a limited number of strategic connections, namely a new bridge connection at Wright Street towards the southern end of the site and the Bascule Bridge and Greenock Road Black Cart Bridge at the northern end. This creates a clearly defined and self- contained development area with strong functional relationships to both Glasgow Airport and the wider strategic transport network 14. What is AMIDS and why was it created? 15. AMIDS is Scotland's nationally recognised hub for advanced manufacturing and innovation and is a strategic business district focused on fostering collaboration between industry, academia and government. 16. AMIDS is being delivered through a long-term joint venture partnership between Renfrewshire Council and Buccleuch Property. Its purpose is to create an environment capable of supporting innovation, accelerating commercialisation and attracting high-value economic activity to the Glasgow City Region and Scotland. The district has been developed as a dedicated, investment-ready business environment, providing long-term
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PUBLIC certainty, strategic commitment and a clear pathway for the growth of advanced manufacturing and technology-led industries. 17. The district brings together world-leading organisations, research institutions and specialist capabilities across advanced engineering, electronics, photonics, precision manufacturing, medicines manufacturing and low-carbon technologies. By creating a collaborative environment in which industry, academia and the public sector can work in close partnership, AMIDS has been designed to accelerate innovation, support commercialisation and enable businesses to establish, grow and scale within a globally competitive ecosystem. 18. AMIDS represents a strategically important economic asset for Renfrewshire, the Glasgow City Region and Scotland, with benefits extending nationally across the UK. The vision for AMIDS is founded on the delivery of significant long-term economic and social benefits, including: • Driving innovation and productivity within advanced manufacturing sectors; • Creating high-value employment opportunities and attracting inward investment to Renfrewshire and the wider city region; • Supporting delivery of Scotland's national manufacturing ambitions and economic development priorities; • Regenerating the area surrounding Glasgow Airport and Inchinnan; • Supporting the creation of thousands of jobs and generating hundreds of millions of additional annual economic value within Scotland's manufacturing sector; • Establishing a globally competitive innovation district capable of attracting internationally recognised businesses and investment; • Strengthening collaboration between industry, academia and government; • Enabling sustainable development through strategic infrastructure investment and active travel connectivity; and • Promoting inclusive economic growth, workforce development and skills enhancement. 19. An illustrative masterplan is provided below to provide visual context and assist in understanding the scale, geography and development aspirations of the AMIDS area.
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PUBLIC 20. The vision for AMIDS is to create a flexible, high-quality commercial environment that enables innovative businesses to establish, grow and scale rapidly within a dedicated development zone supported by bespoke infrastructure, shared facilities and direct access to Scotland's research, talent and industrial networks. The district has been conceived as a unique collaborative ecosystem where people, ideas, investment and opportunity are brought together to drive innovation-led economic growth. 21. AMIDS builds upon a strong foundation of strategic partnerships with leading academic and research institutions, including the Centre for Process Innovation (CPI), the University of Strathclyde and West College Scotland. The district is already home to several internationally recognised organisations, including Boeing, Rolls-Royce, PEAK Scientific and Thermo Fisher Scientific, further reinforcing its status as a nationally significant innovation and manufacturing cluster. 22. The district hosts two of the UK's High Value Manufacturing Catapult centres. These include the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS), operated by the University of Strathclyde and incorporating the Advanced Forming Research Centre, Digital Process Manufacturing Centre and Manufacturing Skills Academy, alongside CPI's Medicines Manufacturing Innovation Centre (MMIC). Together, these facilities provide world-class research, development and skills infrastructure that support innovation and competitiveness across multiple industrial sectors. 23. AMIDS benefits from planning permission in principle for the development of up to 75,000 square metres (807,000 square feet) of additional advanced manufacturing and innovation accommodation. The approved vision is to create a campus-style environment supporting growth across a range of high-value sectors, including electronics, photonics, medicines manufacturing, net-zero technologies and precision engineering. 24. Sustainability and the transition to net zero are central to the AMIDS development model. The district is already served by an operational fifth-generation district heating network, providing low-carbon heating and cooling solutions to occupiers and supporting the development of a future-proofed and environmentally sustainable business location. 25. The first speculative commercial development phase, known as Tech Terrace, is being advanced by the AMIDS Joint Venture Partnership and represents a significant milestone in the delivery of the wider masterplan. The development will provide high-specification accommodation ranging from approximately 200 to 1,600 square metres, offering flexible laboratories, cleanroom facilities, office space and engineering units aimed at supporting both
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PUBLIC start-up and scale-up businesses. Construction of the first phase is anticipated to commence during the second half of 2026, with subsequent phases expected to follow during 2027. Critical Role of AMIDS in Supporting Glasgow Airport Expansion 26. In addition to its core purpose of facilitating the creation of the innovation district itself, the substantial infrastructure investment delivered through AMIDS has transformed the wider transport and access network across the area. This investment has not only unlocked development opportunities within the district but has also established the infrastructure framework required to support the longer-term strategic development aspirations of Glasgow Airport, a critical economic asset for the Glasgow City Region and the West of Scotland. 27. The masterplan for Glasgow Airport identifies a strategic ambition to enhance terminal facilities, increase operational capacity and support future passenger and business growth. Land within AMIDS, particularly that located adjacent to the airport boundary, performs a critical enabling function in this regard. It provides opportunities for the relocation of existing ancillary airport operations, aircraft maintenance facilities and other operational uses that currently occupy land surrounding the terminal complex. The release of these sites is fundamental to facilitating future terminal expansion space and broader airport development objectives. 28. In April 2025, following its acquisition of AGS Airports for £1.53 billion, AviAlliance announced a £350 million investment programme representing the largest capital investment commitment in AGS since its formation in 2014. Although applying across the wider AGS portfolio, the principal focus of the investment is Glasgow Airport, where a comprehensive transformation of the main terminal building, together with significant investment in operational infrastructure and airport capacity, has been identified. The announcement demonstrates a clear long-term commitment to the growth and expansion of Glasgow Airport and further reinforces the strategic importance of the wider airport investment area, including AMIDS, in supporting the future development requirements of this nationally significant economic asset. 29. Without the delivery of AMIDS and the associated development opportunities it provides, Glasgow Airport's ability to relocate these supporting uses would be substantially constrained, limiting its options for future expansion and reducing its capacity to support wider economic growth. Consequently, AMIDS—and particularly the land immediately adjoining the airport campus—represents a strategically important component of the airport's long-term development strategy and plays a critical role in supporting the future growth and competitiveness of Glasgow Airport as a key international gateway for business, investment and tourism across Renfrewshire, the Glasgow City Region and the wider West of Scotland. Unlocking Wider Industrial Expansion and Growth Beyond AMIDS 30. In addition to supporting the future growth of Glasgow Airport, the significant public infrastructure investment delivered through AMIDS was also intended to act as a catalyst for substantial private sector investment across the wider economic area. In particular, this follow on investment was expected to occur predominantly at the immediately adjacent Westway Business Park located on the opposite banks of the White Cart River but also longer term to the closely connected Inchinnan Business Park. 31. The delivery of the Barnwell Street Bridge (formerly referred to as the Wright Street Bridge) as part of the AMIDS development has transformed connectivity between AMIDS, Glasgow Airport campus road network, Westway Business Park and the strategic motorway network. Since its completion, Westway has experienced a period of significant accelerated growth, including the delivery of approximately 300,000 sq ft of new industrial accommodation, major advanced manufacturing and logistics investments, and the announcement of further
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PUBLIC expansion phases. These developments are amongst the most significant in Scotland and demonstrate the wider economic benefits arising from the AMIDS investment programme and highlight the importance of maintaining the long-term strategic employment function of the area. 32. In 2023, Canmoor secured planning permission for approximately 300,000 sq ft of new industrial and logistics accommodation at Westway. The development comprised two major speculative units known as Westway 90 (approximately 88,000 sq ft) and Westway 200 (approximately 202,000 sq ft). The announcement specifically highlighted the enhanced connectivity provided by the recently opened Barnwell Street Bridge linking Westway directly to AMIDS, Glasgow Airport and the strategic road network. 33. In July 2025, it was announced that the UK Government had agreed a long-term lease for Westway 200, the new 202,862 sq ft facility. The deal is Scotland's largest speculative industrial and logistics letting in approximately 30 years, representing a major vote of confidence in the location. 34. Additionally in 2025, sustainable packaging manufacturer Pulpex Ltd leased Westway 90 (88,017 sq ft) on a 20-year lease to establish its first commercial-scale fibre bottle manufacturing facility. This represented a significant manufacturing investment and reinforced Westway's growing role in advanced and sustainable manufacturing activity. 35. In addition to a range of smaller scale investment announcement at Westway, Canmoor has also since confirmed that further major development phases are planned at Westway, including the demolition and redevelopment of additional sites to provide new build-to-let industrial accommodation ranging from 20,000 sq ft to 300,000 sq ft. Again, these are investment sites of significant scale, reinforcing the continuing market confidence in the economic zone in and around AMIDS following the infrastructure investment. 36. Along with the significant and highly promising progress being made to develop out AMIDS as intended, this catalytic impact of follow-on private sector led investment at Westway has occurred at pace and scale over the past 3 years. This has provided credible supporting evidence that the anticipated economic growth impact that the original AMIDS business case was founded upon has a growing probability of delivering as envisaged which will be critical for the Renfrewshire and wider city region economy. The Advancement of AMIDs and Securing Delivery of the Vision 37. The strategic development of Glasgow Airport and the surrounding economic area has been a major objective for the West of Scotland for a considerable period. The long-term objectives to achieve airport expansion and the development of the wider economic area - encapsulating the AMIDS site and beyond – extends back over 20 years. This reflects the strategic significance and importance of this key economic area to the region, and this long-term journey of development is summarised in the timeline provided in Appendix 3. 38. In this context, AMIDS profile and economic importance is significant, and it represents one of Scotland’s most substantial economic development projects. The AMIDS concept was born out of the Glasgow Airport Investment Area (GAIA) project that has been in development for more than 12 years as part of the City Deal investment programme and led and delivered by Renfrewshire Council. In addition, protecting the availability of future land use within the AMIDS site to act as a key enabler for Glasgow Airport expansion plans have long been identified as critical to strategic long-term economic growth across Renfrewshire and the wider Glasgow City Region. The major progress that has been achieved to date has been underpinned by: -
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PUBLIC • Sustained strategic collaboration between local government, national UK and Scottish governments, academia and private industry over two decades, • recent investment to date of over £250m in necessary site acquisition, delivery of major enabling infrastructure and establishment of nationally significant research institutions at AMIDS to provide the anchor foundation for the future advanced manufacturing and innovation district and eco-system. • a high degree of cross sector shared strategic alignment and agreement on the premise of being committed to the creation of a dedicated commercial district, exclusively designed to target, attract and develop an advanced manufacturing and innovation eco-system where research, innovation and manufacturing scalability co- exist within a highly specialised globally competitive business location. 39. AMIDS is intended to compete on the global stage, a bespoke and dedicated high value commercial location designed to attract world leading and renowned advanced manufacturing, engineering and innovation companies, their supporting supply chains, as well as high value academic spin-out and start-ups that will need to grow and expand quickly. 40. Protecting the integrity of AMIDS as dedicated business district exclusively for advanced manufacturing and innovation has been collectively agreed upon as a critical success factor to support the effective development of the district. 41. In recognition of this and the recognised strategic importance of AMIDS, a range of legal, commercial and planning mechanisms have been established at various stages of its development to protect its intended role as a dedicated advanced manufacturing and innovation district. These arrangements are specifically designed to prevent the establishment of non-compatible uses which could compromise the long-term vision, competitiveness and marketability of the location. Traditional business location uses such as large-scale distribution, storage and warehousing facilities are deemed incompatible developments, as they would dilute the specialist nature of the district and undermine its ability to attract and retain high-value manufacturing, research and innovation-based investment. Protecting this exclusivity is fundamental to maximising the economic potential of AMIDS and securing the scale of growth, investment and job creation anticipated through its development. A summary of the range of restrictions applying across the development site are outlined below: - I. City Deal Funding Obligations As outlined above AMIDS was born out of the GAIA City Deal Business case and this set out the over-arching pre-commitment of the AMIDS site. This business case was developed by Renfrewshire Council over 5 years with the full business case receiving final approval in 2019, which unlocked the release of £39 million of UK and Scottish Government grant to support delivery of the GAIA infrastructure investment and creation of the AMIDS district. This business case promoted by the Council was predicated on the creation of AMIDS and committed the future development of the site to advanced manufacturing and innovation to deliver a range of key outcome-based measures including square footage of industrial space brought into use, levels of job creation and GVA economic growth. These outcome measures are subject to long term monitoring and reporting as part of the City Deal benefit realisation process with Scottish and UK Governments. The Council has therefore agreed to pre-commit the AMIDS site through its promoted business case for the development and delivery of an advanced manufacturing and innovation district, facilitating airport expansion and wider follow-on private sector investment as part of the City Deal business case process. This commitment to the City Region Cabinet, the Scottish Government and the UK
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PUBLIC Government was central to unlocking approval for the Council to access City Deal Grant from the UK and Scottish Governments to deliver the infrastructure requirements and establish the responsibility for delivery of the agreed long-term benefits as set out in the FBC. II. Planning Restrictions From a planning perspective the AMIDs site has been zoned for specific purposes which places a level of restrictions around development on the site and would present a range of challenges for any proposed development that was contrary to such restrictions. The adopted LDP (2021) allocates the AMIDS site at Netherton for employment uses under Policy E1 (Strategic Economic Investment Locations; SEIL). Such sites are generally restricted to being used for employment generating uses (classes 4, 5, and 6). This policy requires that any other uses would require to demonstrate they do not have a "significant detrimental effect on the role and function" of the SEIL while also creating additional employment opportunities. Due to the site's LDP allocation any planning application for a use not listed in use classes 4, 5 and 6 (such as a school) would be defined as "significantly contrary" to the LDP. Planning legislation dictates that such a planning application (so defined) must be determined at a meeting of the Full Council. The Planning Board cannot determine such an application. The site is part of a SEIL. This SEIL contributes to an approved level of land supply for employment uses in Renfrewshire over the period of the current LDP. Should a decision be reached to use part of this land for a non-employment use then the expectation would be that compensatory land would be identified elsewhere in Renfrewshire to compensate for this loss. In the current Renfrewshire context, it is very likely that any such compensatory land for employment uses would need to be on previously undeveloped land or Green Belt. The full AMIDS site has planning permission in principle with a series of planning conditions that apply to the land's future development. Any planning application for a different land use (such as a school) will be expected to comply with the existing wider site planning conditions. In addition, from a wider perspective any planning application associated with a school at Netherton (AMIDS) site would raise challenging hurdles associated with a number of key National Planning Framework 4 policies, most notably Policy 14 (Design, Quality and Place), Policy 15 (Local Living and 20 Minute Neighbourhoods) and Policy 22 (Flood Risk and Water Management). Collectively, these policies seek to promote healthy, connected and sustainable places, support community-centred development and avoid the location of highly vulnerable development within areas affected by environmental constraints. Given the site's industrial character, separation from residential communities, reliance on transport infrastructure, airport-related environmental impacts and flood risk considerations, it is anticipated that these policies would form significant considerations in the assessment of any future planning application for a school development at this location. III. Section 32 Agreement (Renfrewshire Council/Scottish Enterprise) A Section 32 Agreement is a legal agreement which allows Scottish Enterprise (SE) to restrict the use of land that it does not own. A Section 32 Agreement has been entered into for the AMIDS site as part of the provision of funding from SE for the AMIDS site infrastructure to generate buy in from Scottish Enterprise to support the Council and wider AMIDS group of stakeholders to drive forward the ambitions for creating an advanced manufacturing innovation district on the site.
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PUBLIC This agreement was approved by the Leadership Board in 2019, and it includes a range of definition obligations which both restrict the use of the site for advanced manufacturing and innovation and places a range of other obligations designed to protect the value of the site. The s32 Agreement excludes the land within AMIDS which is earmarked for Airport expansion. However, should this earmarked land be used for a purpose which fundamentally impacts negatively on the S.32 related AMIDS land, the obligations in the S.32 agreement, and in particular in relation to Good Faith, may apply. IV. AMIDs LLP (Joint Venture Partnership with Buccleuch Property) The AMIDS LLP Agreement (approved at Full Council in 2023) is the contract between the Council and the private sector partner Buccleuch Property whereby the Council and Buccleuch have formed a 50/50 joint venture partnership to develop AMIDS Park into a world class advanced manufacturing innovation park (note that similar to the SE S.32 agreement the JV agreement does not extend to the AMIDs land earmarked to support airport expansion). The agreement is defined as the joint venture to procure the planning, design, construction, execution, financing, letting and completion of the Property forming part of AMIDS. The Purpose of the Partnership is to: • Develop and carry out the Project in accordance with the Business Plan. • Contribute to the community through economic development and employment opportunities. • Members undertake to comply with the Business Plan As part of the agreement the Council has legally committed to undertake that it shall not: • Make any disposal of or grant rights over the Property, • Undertake any activity outside of the scope of the Business Plan, • Enter into any transaction that is not in the normal course of business of the Partnership, • Enter into any transaction which is not on “arms length” terms, • Enter into any transaction which is with a party connected to the Council. This element of the agreement places clear obligations on the Council and restricts the development of the AMIDs land related to the JV to be developed in line with these obligations. An Event of Default occurs if there is a serious breach of the agreement and includes any conduct that would be likely to have a material adverse effect on the Purpose of the Partnership. Crucially where the Defaulting Party is the Council then the remedy is that the Partnership Agreement is wound up and this would expose the Council to financial compensation rights on the part of the JV Partners.
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PUBLIC V. UK Priority Investment and Tax Zone Status Although no formal statutory restriction arises from either Investment Zone or Tax Site designation, the strategic significance of AMIDS at both a regional and national level has increased considerably in recent years and has continued to strengthen throughout 2025 and 2026. In 2025, AMIDS was incorporated within the Glasgow City Region Investment Zone and designated as a Tax Site. This status provides a package of targeted tax incentives to attract investment and occupiers operating within the advanced manufacturing and innovation sectors, alongside opportunities for the retention and reinvestment of non- domestic rates generated within the zone. The decision by both the UK and Scottish Governments to grant Tax Site status reflects a significant endorsement of AMIDS as a nationally important location for economic growth and demonstrates a clear commitment to accelerating its development as a specialist advanced manufacturing and innovation district. This strategic importance was further reinforced in November 2025 when the UK Government identified AMIDS as one of only four UK-wide Priority Investment Projects. Through this designation, the UK Government committed the coordinated support of a range of national public finance and investment institutions to assist in accelerating delivery and investment. The National Wealth Fund (NWF) was subsequently assigned as the lead organisation for coordinating support to AMIDS. This designation represents a further endorsement of the strategic vision for the district and its potential to deliver substantial long-term economic, employment and social benefits. It also significantly elevates the national and international profile of AMIDS as a globally competitive location for advanced manufacturing, research, innovation and related investment activity. Engagement undertaken to date with the National Wealth Fund and its associated network of advisers has recognised the considerable progress achieved through long- standing collaboration between public sector partners, academia and industry. Whilst acknowledging the district's significant strengths and opportunities, a key recommendation emerging from this work has been the importance of maintaining and strengthening a clear, consistent and unambiguous market proposition for AMIDS. In particular, advice received has highlighted the value of ensuring that all stakeholders articulate a single, coherent vision for the district in order to maximise market confidence, strengthen international engagement and support investment decisions from prospective occupiers. In this context, the introduction of a school within the AMIDS development area, or the progression of such a proposal through the later stages of the business case process, presents a significant strategic risk to the AMIDs proposition. The inclusion of a major non-industrial use would be fundamentally different from the specialist economic role that has consistently been promoted for the district and could create uncertainty regarding the long-term purpose and direction of the development. Such uncertainty would be contrary to the objective of presenting a clear and coherent proposition to target occupiers and investors. Given the highly competitive international market within which AMIDS is seeking to attract investment, maintaining confidence in the district's strategic vision is a critical consideration. At this stage in the development of AMIDS, clarity of purpose, consistency of messaging and confidence in long-term land use objectives are important factors in supporting inward investment and occupier interest. Any proposal that has the potential to dilute, conflict with or create ambiguity around the established vision for the district
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PUBLIC could adversely affect market perception and, consequently, the ability of AMIDS to realise its full economic potential. Accordingly, when considering the Netherton Avenue site as part of this assessment, it is necessary to recognise the potential wider strategic and economic implications arising from any proposal that may undermine the established positioning of AMIDS as a nationally significant advanced manufacturing and innovation district. The potential impact on investor confidence, marketability and the long-term delivery of the district's economic objectives represents a material consideration in the appraisal of the site's overall suitability
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PUBLIC APPENDIX 3 Publication of “The Future of Air Transport” White Paper setting out requiring airport to publish masterplans setting out their proposals for development Airport publishes its first Masterplan in response to the “The Future of Air Transport" White Paper 2007 Renfrewshire LTS notes requirement for improved walking and cycling facilities 2009 NPF 2 identifies Glasgow Airport as a National Development Site 2011 Glasgow Airport publishes its Masterplan for development up to 2040 Glasgow & Clyde Valley Strategic Development Plan identifies Glasgow Airport Investment Zone as a Strategic Economic Investment Location & Strategic Transport Hub Publication of “Strategic Investment Framework” report by Ekos on behalf of the “International Investment Quarter” Working Group. Renfrewshire LDP; • recommends new crossing over White Cart Water at Wright Street (Westway Business Park) • notes requirement to realign Abbotsinch Road • recommends enhancement of Airport to Paisley Town Centre transport corridor • identifies Westway Business Park and Glasgow Airport as Strategic Economic Investment Locations City Deal Agreement ranks GAIA project as 11th in the City Deal infrastructure project list in terms of GVA June 2015 GAIA Strategic Business Case approved by Cabinet Sept 2015 Appointment of Lead Consultants for the GAIA project June 2016 Establishment of GAIA Steering Group December 2016 OBC v 1.0 approved by GCRCD Cabinet November 2017 Planning Consent granted for principle aspects of GAIA Project Scottish Government announce location of National Manufacturing Institute Scotland at GAIA. Dec-18 Dec 2018 OBC v 2.4 approved by GCRCD Cabinet Announcement that the UK Medicines Manufacturing Innovtion Centre (MMIC) will be located at GAIA. 2019 2023 2025 2025 2026 2026-2027 Recently the UK Chancellor also announced AMIDS as one of four, UK “Priority Investment Projects” to support UK economic growth and officers are now working with the National Wealth Fund and other UK public finance organisations to accelerate development at AMIDS. Phase 1 of Tech Terrace, which is the next phase of development at AMIDS is well progressed with construction expected to start this year. Planning has now been submitted, with this facility due to be completed by the end of 2027, with Phase 2 following thereafter. This facility will provide much needed flexible space for innovative university spin out type organisations. Council procured and contractually appointed a private sector Joint Venture partner (Buccleuch) to bring forward advanced manufacturing development on the site. A follow on £59 million AMIDS South Project Business Case approved and £39m of Levelling Up Funding Secured to provide improved connectivity between AMIDS and the Airport is currently in delivery AMIDS site becomes part of the Glasgow City Region Investment Zone and is a designated “Tax Site” providing attractive tax incentives to new occupiers along with the opportunity for non-domestic rates retention to be collected and reused within the investment zone – with the investment zone and the tax site status tied specifically to advanced manufacturing and innovation sector. 2014 Dec-17 Jun-18 Time Period Event Full Business Case approved by Council in Feb 2019 and approximately £60 million investment, funded by the UK & Scottish Governments, Renfrewshire Council and Scottish Enterprise was progressed by the Council to:- 2003 2006 2012 2013 2014