£13 million overhaul creates more than 700 new nursery places in Highlands

By Garrett Stell

July 11 2022, 5:00 pm

Hilton Primary School and Nursery is the most recent project to be completed. Supplied by Morgan Sindall Construction. Photos by Ewen Weatherspoon

A series of building projects in the Highlands has expanded nursery school provision in the area.

All with an eye on the council’s ambitious net-zero carbon goal.

Hilton Primary School is the latest product of a multimillion-pound partnership between Highland Council and Morgan Sindall Construction.

The firm has completed 13 other early years centres, most of which are in and around Inverness, worth a combined £13 million.

It used sustainable materials and building methods throughout the project, resulting in lower energy usage and less waste during construction.

The nursery projects are another example of new school buildings in the Highlands which aim to reduce the region’s energy usage and environmental impact.

Major expansion to Highland nursery provision

Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, many childcare centres have struggled to stay afloat, particularly in rural communities.

The partnership between Highland Council and Morgan Sindall has resulted in 770 new nursery places for local children.

Outdoor learning spaces and eco-friendly construction feature at the Hilton Primary School and Nursery extension. Photos by Ewen Weatherspoon

The majority of the projects were either in Inverness or nearby Nairn and Alness, but some projects were as far afield as the Wester Ross village of Lochcarron.

Morgan Sindall delivered new nurseries at the following primary schools:

Ardersier
Bridgend
Obsdale
Auldearn
Avoch
Lochcarron
Duncan Forbes
Muirtown
Croy
Kirkhill
Coulhill
Glenurquhart
Stratherrick
Hilton

Projects in line with environmental goals

A spokesman for Morgan Sindall Construction said that the new nurseries were delivered as part of the firm’s ‘De-carbonising Communities’ Strategy.

They said the firm worked with suppliers to build using sustainable materials and designs. Part of the design included more sustainable modular units and insulated timber, which should reduce energy costs.

Ian MacDonald, special works manager at Morgan Sindall’s Inverness office, praised the partnership with Highland Council.

“Together we’ve delivered vital early years teaching capacity across the region, while minimising our environmental impact.”

Highland Council has been contacted for comment.

More green builds to come

At the end of 2021, Highland Council committed to developing a net-zero strategy to reduce the region’s environmental impact. This came after the COP26 summit in Glasgow and after the council declared a climate emergency in 2019.

Upcoming projects such as the new Tain 3-18 campus and the Nairn Academy rebuild are being built to ‘Passivhaus’ standards, which make use of cutting-edge insulation techniques to reduce the need for artificial heating and cooling.

How much is being spent on schools in YOUR area?

Despite the ambitious building plans, Highland Council recently wrote to parents in Nairn, Tain and other areas slated for school construction to warn of rising construction costs.

The council stopped short of confirming whether any of the projects would be delayed, but it remains to be seen if they will be able to meet deadlines for government funding.