Aberdeenshire Council's Policy & Resources Committee has approved plans for the future of education provision in Portlethen.

Action will now be taken to source the funding needed for a planned £12.9m primary school for Hillside. If successful, the building could be completed by June 2016.

An assessment study into future primary education in the greater Portlethen catchment area was carried out to look into the issue of extensive housing development at Hillside, which lies to the west of the A90, the opposite side of the trunk road from Portlethen's existing primary schools.

The recent School Estate Review predicts that the school roll at Fishermoss Primary will fall to 214 in 2018, while the school roll at Portlethen Primary will more than double to 646 in the same period.

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Five options went before members of the committee:

1. Retain Fishermoss and Portlethen Primary Schools, and construct a community facility on the identified site at Hillside Portlethen.

2. Retain the two existing primary schools and build a community facility on the identified site at Hillside. The facility would include the core provision for a new school in the future.

3. Build a new primary school at Hillside, and assess the impact of this on the existing Portlethen Schools

(a) 540 pupil school now

(b) 355 pupils with larger school core facility of 540 for future proofing the building

(c) 240 pupils

4. Build a new primary school at Hillside, retain and refurbish Fishermoss Primary School and close Portlethen Primary School.

5. Build a new primary school at Hillside, retain and refurbish Fishermoss Primary School and construct a community facility on the site of the former Portlethen Primary School.

At a meeting last week, option 3(b) was recommended by planning officials and endorsed by the Kincardine and Mearns Area Committee.

This option of a new 355-pupil capacity school with the facility for expanding to 540 pupils in the future.

With £1.8m of the project cost identifiable from planning gain, councillors also instructed the Capital Plan Group to identify the remaining £11.1m funding in the Capital Plan and report back to the committee.

There has already been wide consultation with the community on the proposals, with the community favouring a three-school solution.

(JP/CD)