Education bosses at West Dunbartonshire Council rubber-stamped the proposals at a special committee meeting meaning the school – which is fed by Helensburgh’s St Joseph’s Primary – will be built on the site of the high flats.

At the meeting, Terry Lanagan – the executive director of Educational Services – acknowledged the concerns expressed about the site but said Bellsmyre was the best option available.

Mr Lanagan also reminded committee that if the Bellsmyre proposal was rejected, this would delay the project even more and the council would be at the risk of losing out on government funding.

However, Josephine McDaid representing Educational Insitute of Scotland (EIS) union members at OLSP, criticised the proposals.

Ms McDaid put forward her own motion, asking committee to reject the Bellsmyre site. She said: “I find it interesting that 70 per cent of responses were against this proposal.

“I find it quite strange you’re in favour of the plans since you’re supposed to be representing your communities.

“You rejected the Posties Park option because your communities were against it, I don’t think the educational benefits had anything to do with it.

“This is not OLSP’s fault that we are in this situation – the staff don’t want to go, the parents don’t want to go.

“There’s a lot being made of the fact there were only 53 responses, this is totally different from Posties Park. That was a highly emotive issue, people get very protective over their greenspace and I can understand why those communities protested.” The parent council also criticised the council’s proposal to build the new school, releasing a statement which read: “It is with great disappointment to find that the consultation, despite parents, Parent Council, community, and union views has decided to find in favour in the Bellsmyre site, a decision which can only be based, purely on socioeconomic grounds with little or no weighting granted to the stakeholders involved.” Kathleen Owen – of Helensburgh Pet Shop – is a former pupil of the school and current member of the parent council. She said: “We have put the statement out there because we don’t want the school at any cost, what the council has said is that it will work with all the stakeholders to find the most suitable site, but this isn’t the most suitable site.

“This school is going to be there for the next 40 years, you can’t just rush into something and make a mistake.

“The Scottish Government has committed the money to building a new OLSP, and we believe the council has the time to make the right decision.” Kathleen, who lives in Helensburgh, has five children, four of whom are former OLSP pupils and one, a daughter, who is currently in third year at the school.

She added: “Although this might not even affect my own daughter, I’m a member of the parent council and it’s our responsibility to look out for the interests of all parents and pupils. We think the council should look again and find the option that is beneficial to parents, pupils, teachers and the community.” However, councillor Michelle McGinty, spokeswoman for Educational Services, says the parent council’s allegations are unfounded.

She said: “The only thing that has been done so far is the consultation exercise, if a site is decided on Thursday, that’s when the hard work really begins.

“I think Mr Lanagan in his report addresses every single worry people may have, he has listened to their concerns throughout.”