Construction work on a new Aberdeen school to serve thousands of new homes in Countesswells will begin next week.
Groundwork and preparations for the foundations of the new primary and nursery will be started at the site north of Countesswells, near the Cults Burn Park.
Expected to be completed in by the start of the 2023-24 school year, the new build was subject to a dispute between the city council and Stewart Milne Group’s Countesswells Development Limited (CDL) earlier this year.
The local authority threatened potential legal action with the firm, responsible for constructing much of the new suburb, over delays of millions of pounds towards the facility.
Countesswells Primary School nearby scrapped in row
It had been feared the entire project could be scrapped over the delay – which councillors voted to blame solely on the developer due to the hold-up in bringing forward the cash.
But late last month, councillors were told the quarrel had been resolved and that work on Countesswells Primary School would begin in weeks.
Originally touted to cost £25 million, it is now expected to cost £18.9m – as the council is building four new schools for £100m and has committed the rest of its budget.
It has now been announced ground will be broken early next week, with boundary fencing and a new road into the site first on the to-do list.
Planned Countesswells Primary School with end three-mile school run
Once built by Hub North Scotland, it will have room for more than 400 pupils and 60 nursery-aged children too.
Currently, youngsters living in the 600 new homes already built at Countesswells are being taught at the former Hazlewood School – more than three miles away.
The new building will also include space for early years education, an all-weather pitch, and two separate playgrounds as well as an outdoor classroom.
Council education convener M. Tauqeer Malik said: “The new building will ensure that children living in Countesswells can attend school with peers, so promoting social inclusion.
“We will be able to meet the future growing capacity of this school zone for years to come, delivering the Curriculum for Excellence in a state-of-the-art establishment that serves all residents and promotes sustainable living in addition to lifelong learning.”
David Wilson Homes recently joined Stewart Milne, Kirkwood, Barratt and Chap in building on the development, which will eventually amount to 3,000 homes.
With them will come healthcare facilities, shops, green and civic space and parkland – while a new access road, linking Countesswells to the existing Kingswells roundabout has also been constructed.
CDL director, Alex Goodfellow, said: “Breaking the ground of our much-anticipated school is another significant milestone for our community, and a further demonstration of the commitment to deliver a highly attractive community to live, work, play and learn.”