PLANS to create a shared school campus and leisure facility in Neilston are being discussed with residents.

East Renfrewshire Council (ERC) has launched a community engagement process to test villagers’ appetite for a joint site for pupils at Neilston Primary and St Thomas’ Primary.

In February, the Barrhead News told how the local authority had set aside £100,000 from its budget to fund a feasibility study into the proposals.

According to ERC, both schools are in “poor condition”.

While a suitable site would need to be identified for any possible development, funding for which would also be required, the campus could include the two schools, a nursery, a sports centre and a library.

Parent council members from both schools have already met with representatives from the council’s education department to learn more.

Views from other community groups and interested parties, including the Catholic Church, will be gathered as part of the informal process.

Mhairi Shaw, ERC’s director of education, said: “This is the first stage in the process to gather opinions from local people as we aim to establish whether there is the appetite within the community for moving forward with this proposal.

“Whilst funding has still to be secured, we want to be prepared for embarking on this ambitious plan if it is what the community supports.

“It is important to make it clear that, if the two primary schools were co-located on a single campus, they would absolutely retain their unique, individual identities and continue to have two separate headteachers.

“We look forward to hearing the feedback from the community, which will help to shape our plans in the coming months.”

ERC has stressed that any shared facility would retain the individual identities of both schools.

However, there would be scope to merge facilities such as dining areas and meeting spaces.

Following the initial consultation, the two parent councils will gather views from relevant forums, before providing feedback to ERC in September.