PARENTS of children with special needs have hit out at council plans to move their kids' school to the more than EIGHT miles across Glasgow.

Glasgow City Council have put forward plans to move Linburn Academy in Penilee to another location near Rutherglen.

The plans, discuss at the latest council executive committee, state a consultation was opened to the public on October 5.

Kirkriggs Primary, which caters for 46 younger children with additional support needs, has also been planned for relocation.

The local authority is suggesting to move the 46 primary pupils to Toryglen Primary school, which is 50% under occupied, 1.6 miles away.

They then hope to move Linburn Academy pupils to the former Kirkriggs Primary site on Croftfoot Road, two and a half hours walk away from the original location at Linburn Road.

The council claim the Linburn building is no longer fit for purpose.

Local councillor Alex Wilson said he has been bombarded with concerns from parents and staff at the school since the meeting on September 24.

The SNP Councillor said: "I have spoken to teaching staff who have grave concerns about it.

"They are concerned about it in terms of the location, they are based in Penilee and they would be moving to Rutherglen. It's not just down the road.

"A lot of the parents are unhappy as they don't want their children moved as they are settled.

"It would also mean closing some of the after school clubs they run, and other activities in the Penilee area.

"The parents and residents also donate quite a bit of things to the school, they would lose that support. They are really not happy about the children being shifted so far away. Many of the kids are autistic or have Aspergers and thing, they need to be settled."

A consultation will run until November 20, with letters being issued to community councils, the health board and any other organisations involved.

Despite this, community council members claim they found out about the plans on Facebook and say they should have been informed sooner.

Mark Donaldson, of the Hillington, North Cardonald and Penilee Community Council said: "This is very wrong, something as big should not be kept from the public.

"The fact that the Community Council has no knowledge of this School closing and members had to find out via Facebook is so wrong.

"The Community Council have no knowledge of this and are learning about the events as they unfold."

A council spokeswoman said: “We would encourage everyone within the school communities to be actively involved in the process so that we can gather all views as part of the consultation.

“As with any consultation and any subsequent school moves and re-locations, the most important factor is the individual needs of each child along with parental and staff engagement.”

hannah.rodger@eveningtimes.co.uk