A ROW over plans to develop a joint denomination school in Neilston has intensified.

The MSP for the area has waded into the controversy by slamming East Renfrewshire Council (ERC) for announcing the plan without consulting the Catholic Church.

Conservative Maurice Golden, a West of Scotland MSP, said this week he was shocked by the manner in which the plans were announced.

And he was backed by two Tory candidates for the forthcoming local authority elections – accountant Andy Morrison and Cllr Charlie Gilbert – who are vying for places in Newton Mearns North and Neilston.

They were speaking after the News revealed in February that ERC is considering developing a joint site for pupils who attend the “tired” Neilston Primary and St Thomas’ Primary schools.

In an interview with with News, cllr Paul O’Kane said the local authority is looking to gauge the views of parents, teachers and village residents after setting aside £100,000 from its budget to part-fund a feasibility study into the idea.

However, the plans subsequently came under fire from the Bishop John Keenan of Paisley, who claims the church was kept in the dark.

But in a statement this week, the council said a range of stakeholders would be included in the study and the church would play a key part.

The row reignited after Mr Golden said: “I am shocked that the council would seek to change faith school provision in Neilston without consulting the church.

“I agree with the Bishop of Paisley that it is concerning that the church only learned of these plans in a newspaper article rather than from the council.

“It would be far more productive if the church was included as a partner to such discussions at an early stage.”

Andy Morrison said: “The decision to build a new educational facility is one which the local authority takes only very occasionally, therefore, it is crucial we get this right for all.

“That would clearly include full consultation with and the buy-in of all stakeholders from the present St Thomas’ School, including local representatives from the Roman Catholic Church.

“It is important that consultation is carried out in a courteous manner through proper channels rather than officials discovering proposals through the pages of the local press.”

And fellow candidate cllr Charlie Gilbert said: “Any change in faith school provision should include the church as an equal partner.

“To have the church learn of these plans through the media is neither helpful nor respectful.

“As a council we should be building bridges with faith groups, not putting up barriers. I hope we will see a better exchange of information in the future”.

Mr Golden has defended faith schools throughout his time in parliament and has raised the issue with the First Minister directly.

He said he received assurances earlier this year from the First Minister that Catholic schools would be protected from the recent shift in SNP policy over religious observance in schools.

He said: “Religious observance is an integral part of the way Catholic schools deliver education and we must defend them.”

“I have benefited from a Catholic education for part of my schooling. I want to ensure that others gain the same positive experience.”

An East Renfrewshire Council spokesman said: “Both schools in Neilston are currently in a C-rated condition and would require significant investment to bring them in line with the rest of our school estate.

“The possibility of a shared campus for Neilston and St Thomas’ primaries was first shared with the council in June 2015.”