CONTRACT close has been achieved on the £53 million project to build the new Dumfries High School.
Designed by Ryder Architecture, the new school will be built on the site of the former high school’s football pitch by Morgan Sindall Construction and delivered by hub South West Scotland.
Phase one of the project will focus on the creation of an all-weather sports pitch, with phase two building the new high school. Demolition of the former school will take place at a later stage in the project timeline.
Alongside the all-weather sports pitch, the school will house the new David Keswick Athletics Centre which will offer ‘exceptional’ PE and sporting facilities for pupils and the wider community.
The new school will feature social and dining areas as well as an amphitheatre and science garden, with pupils and staff able to take advantage of numerous break-out areas for science, languages, and a new library. A multi-functional assembly hall will also be built with retractable seating, allowing a flexible space.
Michael Ross, chief executive at hub South West, said, “To reach contract close on such an important educational project for Dumfries is a fantastic milestone. We are excited to work in partnership with Dumfries & Galloway Council and our construction partner Morgan Sindall to deliver the new Dumfries High School, providing state-of-the-art education and sporting facilities to benefit pupils and the wider community. Such an investment from Dumfries and Galloway Council clearly shows their commitment to providing exceptional learning environments.
“We are committed to ensuring this project makes an impact across the local economic and skills landscape and are already rolling out our plans with the authority economic development teams, local chamber of commerce, South of Scotland Enterprise and Dumfries and Galloway College. This will see a series of engagement events to interact with and develop local SMEs in the built environment along with a range of skills events.”
Morgan Sindall Construction’s MD for Scotland, Stuart Parker, added, “It’s a privilege to work with hub South West and Dumfries Galloway Council, who share our vision to deliver Dumfries High School. Our breadth of experience in the education sector and our approach to quality enable us to construct exceptional learning environments. We’ll be engaging with the local community and our supply chain throughout the process to ensure the project has a far-reaching local impact, as well as creating coveted apprenticeship opportunities for those in the local area.”
Dumfries and Galloway Council leader, Gail MacGregor, commented, “I am delighted that we have reached this important stage and that building work has commenced. The level of investment made from our Council demonstrates just how important the Dumfries Learning Town project is to us and I am encouraged by the level of support we have received with the project from our partners.
“I look forward to leading Dumfries and Galloway Council through this project and I am sure that the new school will be a facility that will future-proof the educational needs of our learners who attend the school for many, many years to come.”
