Swimmers enjoying new pool facilities
The completed £55m Inverurie Community Campus has welcomed its first visitors, with its swimming pool facility now open for online bookings. Councillors and senior Aberdeenshire Council officials were joined by partners from hub North Scotland and Robertson to enjoy a tour of the site.
In addition to the extensive community facilities on offer – including a gym, a number of fully equipped sports halls and multi-functional theatre space alongside the pool – Inverurie Academy pupils are set to benefit from a dance studio, ‘social staircase’ areas as well as other break out spaces, a balcony, an amphitheatre and even a hair and makeup/theatre dressing room learning space. St Andrew’s School will benefit from its own dedicated section of the facility, including multiple sensory rooms, a sensory garden, a warm water pool, a therapy pool and even a dedicated rebound therapy space.
The Aberdeenshire Council project is being delivered through developers’ hub North Scotland and built by Robertson who have been working to an agreed set of safe operating procedures since work re-mobilised earlier this summer. Construction activities are now switching to the demolition of the old facilities and the completion of the external works, including new outdoor all-weather pitches.
The impressive new campus will become home to Inverurie Academy following the October holiday break, including planned school closure dates for pupils on Friday 9 October and Monday 26 October. St Andrew’s School pupils are already enjoying an enhanced transition programme with several visits planned before they officially move into the building in November.
The campus’ sports and leisure facilities are run by Live Life Aberdeenshire on behalf of Aberdeenshire Council. Various indoor facilities will become available gradually in the coming weeks. For now, the programme on offer at the pool is continuing to expand and you can book online at: http://bit.ly/SPAbook
Aberdeenshire Council’s Provost, Cllr Bill Howatson welcomed the opportunity to mark the opening of the facility to the public. He said: “The facilities on offer within the new campus are outstanding. The completed project is testament to the hard work, dedication and enthusiasm of our partners, the many contractors who have worked on the site, all those who contributed to the design and planning, and our own dedicated property and learning estates teams who strive to deliver a gold standard on behalf of our children and young people.
“Inverurie Community Campus will be a huge asset for our school pupils, for our staff and of course the wider public. It’s an investment into the local community we are very proud of and I’m sure it will be a place many will make fond memories in the years to come.”
Kirsty O’Brien, the director heading the project for hub North Scotland, said: “This outstanding building is a testament to the hard work by everyone involved. The facilities are absolutely superb and provide first class accessible teaching and community facilities which I am sure will be the heart of the community for years to come.”
Fraser McCaskill, Operations Director, Major Projects, Robertson Construction, added: “Robertson has a proud history of delivering outstanding education and community facilities and Inverurie Community Campus sits at the top of that portfolio. The commitment from all the partners in the delivery of this facility has been unfaltering. We look forward to continuing our work to deliver the outdoor pitches which will be undertaken with the greatest of consideration as the pupils and local community begin to use, and benefit from the completion of, the main building.”
Our photograph shows (L-R) Fraser McCaskill, Kirsty O’Brien and Brian McGuinness, senior project manager for Robertson Construction outside the new building. Photograph courtesy of Aberdeenshire Council.