PERMISSION has been given for a new pre-five centre on Glasgow’s South Side.

The facility, for up to 87 two to five-year-olds, will be built on a small disused pitch beside category B-listed Cuthbertson Primary School, in Cuthbertson Street, beside Victoria Road.

Accommodation will include four playrooms, a dining room reception/office space, parents’ room, staff room, kitchen and laundry room, and toilets/changing facilities.

The facility will be operational 52 weeks a year, open Monday to Friday between 8am to 6pm. There will be no set sessions, allowing families to use their allocated hours more flexibly. Pupil drop-off/collection will take place throughout the day.

No vehicle drop-off facility is proposed as the neighbouring school does not have one and car use for drop-off/collection is relatively low; around a quarter of current parents.

The centre is one of four so far proposed for the city, with the others being in Carntyne, Tollcross Park and Broomhill.

It is being provided as part of Glasgow City Council’s efforts to meet the Scottish Government commitment to increase the provision of free early learning and childcare from 600 hours a year to 1,140 hours for all three to five-year-olds, as well as eligible two-year-olds.

A report by planners approving the application states: “The site currently hosts a disused sports pitch which has not been actively maintained for many years, so it does not therefore provide valued recreational space.

“The proposal seeks to address an identified need for additional early learning facilities in the local area as the high demand for early years places is in excess of existing physical capacity.

“The facility would be sited within close proximity to local bus and train services and there are active travel opportunities to access the site.

“It is not considered that the building or its use would have a negative impact on townscape character or residential amenity. The proposed location and site layout are considered to be acceptable, subject to safeguarding conditions.

“The proposal presents an appropriate use of the site with a suitable built form and materiality of good quality which has been selected in consideration of the surrounding built environment.

“The site of the facility has been an eyesore in this area for a considerable period of the time and the proposal offers the opportunity of a solution to this.”