THE construction of North Ayrshire’s ‘most eco-friendly’ school has reached a major milestone.
A topping out ceremony was held at Montgomerie Park Primary School yesterday to mark the next stage of the development, with it due to open later this year and become the first Passivhaus school in the region.
Robertson Construction Central West, which is leading the build, was joined by development partner hub South West, North Ayrshire provost Anthea Dickson, and local youngsters and their families to plant a tree to mark the occasion.
The tree signals a new beginning and is also symbolic of the intertwining of the sustainability credentials and learning environment the new Passivhaus school will offer to the 342 pupils it can accommodate.
Initial work on the new school began in March 2023, with it set to feature 12 classrooms, early learning facilities, a gymnasium incorporating flexible performance areas, and dining facilities, along with outdoor learning spaces including a seven-a-side all-weather pitch.
Andy McLinden, regional MD of Robertson Construction Central West, said, “Today marks a significant milestone as we focus our attention on completing the build and prepare it for its first intake of pupils. By building to Passivhaus standards North Ayrshire Council is making a firm commitment to both its net zero drive and the education of young learners. It’s a pleasure to host the event today and to meet some of the pupils who will be among the first to attend the school.”
Michael Ross, chief executive at hub South West, added, “It was fantastic to be involved in this celebration and welcome the young people who, alongside the local community, will benefit from this first class facility. We have a long track record of delivering projects for North Ayrshire Council, having delivered 19 projects totalling over £190 million to date. All achieving value for money, high quality and with a strong community wealth building focus.
“From our North Ayrshire projects we have created 280 jobs, 81 apprenticeships and more widely we have recirculated over £34 million of project spend to companies in North Ayrshire. My experienced team have the expertise to make this all happen and we enjoy working in partnership with North Ayrshire Council.”
Provost Anthea Dickson commented, “I am honoured to be taking part in this celebration and the planting of the tree is very symbolic. We all know the importance of tree planting to the environment but it also represents the start of something new. The children here today will be some of the first to attend Montgomerie Park Primary and will be creating many new memories. We are all very excited for them and their families. It is great to see the progress being made and we look forward to seeing the finished product over the coming months.”
