A deal has been struck which paves the way for a new school to be built in a north-east town.
Members of Aberdeenshire Council’s Formartine area committee have backed plans to buy land for the replacement primary at Turriff for an undisclosed sum.
The £12million, 18-classroom school will be built in the town’s Meadowbank Road.
Turriff’s Markethill Primary has been under pressure from a growing school roll for several years and has been working over its capacity for the last 12 months.
Designs fir a new building were approved in March, but the land needed was owned by the British Heart Foundation (BHF).
It was bequeathed to the charity following the death of a local resident, and became the subject of a compulsory purchase order (CPO).
Last night, Turriff councillor Sandy Duncan said he was “relieved” that the CPO was not needed and the purchase of the ground – which local authority officials had been negotiating since January – had finally been concluded.
He said: “I’m relieved that the site purchase has gone through, and we didn’t have to resort to the CPO because that would have delayed the process. It looked like it was going to be delayed for a long time.
“Now things can get going. Once the new school is up and going it will be far better for the pupils and staff.”
Stephen Morgan, the BHF’s legacy manager, said the agreement would benefit both the charity and Turriff.
“The land was bequeathed to the BHF by a supporter and we are beholden, by charity law, to secure market value for such assets,” he added.
“I’m delighted that our supporter’s generous legacy will have such a positive impact on the BHF’s work and the community, and will benefit generations to come.”