Pupils lend a helping hand to begin their new school
Pupils leant a hand today to officially start work on their new school at Countesswells on the outskirts of Aberdeen.
They joined Aberdeen City Council’s Educational Operational Delivery convenor, councillor M Tauqeer Malik to visit the site for the first time as work got under way.
The £17 million school and nursery is being delivered on behalf of the council by hub North Scotland with Morrison Construction as the main contractor and Halliday Fraser Munro as architects. It is due for completion in 2023.
Councillor Malik said “This is a proud day for me to perform this sod cutting ceremony. The delivery of Countesswells Primary School will help to grow Aberdeen as a city of learning that will empower residents to put lifelong learning at the heart of the community.
“The new school, once built, will provide a two-stream primary school with a capacity for 434 pupils, Early Learning & Childcare provision for 60 pupils, a 3G 7 a-side-pitch and external outdoor play and learning spaces”.
Councillor Malik added “Countesswells Primary School will provide the potential for enabling people to learn and develop themselves in ways that meet their needs, interests and ambitions.”
hub North Scotland project director Peter Ramsay said: This is a key moment for the new Countesswells community, and we are looking forward to delivering a fantastic new school which will enjoyed by families for generations to come.”
Colin Milne, project director for Morrison Construction North East, commented, “We are delighted to be underway on this much-needed school for local children. We have a strong track record in providing high quality educational facilities in partnership with both hub North Scotland and Aberdeenshire Council and we look forward to building on that here at Countesswells together with Aberdeen City Council.”
The new Countesswells community has 600-homes constructed so far and will eventually have 3,000. Countesswells-based primary school pupils are currently being taught in the former Hazlewood school.
* The photograph (courtesy of Aberdeen City Council) shows councillor Malik with the pupils, project team members and guests at the ceremony