Two more schools have been given the go-ahead to be rebuilt as part of South Lanarkshire's primary schools modernisation programme.

Approval has been given by the authority's Planning Committee for Udston in Hamilton and Auchinraith in Blantyre to be replaced in the second phase of the council's £850m programme.

This decision brings to 53 the number of South Lanarkshire primary schools which have won approval from councillors in the last five years.

The new £7.8m Udston primary school in Thornhill Road will be constructed by Morgan Ashurst plc as a tandem build adjacent to the existing building. As such, pupils will remain on site throughout the construction phase.

The current building will be retained for future use by Education Resources as a potential decant location for other schools in the modernisation programme.

The new school, which will be L-shaped in design, will be a mix of single and two-storeys.

The ground floor will incorporate eight classrooms, gym with changing facilities, kitchen, dining room, GP room, toilets and office space.

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A mezzanine floor will provide additional space and an outdoor pitch, without lighting, has also been proposed for the eastern boundary of the site.

A new vehicular access to the school will be created in the form of a mini roundabout at the corner of Thornhill Road and Yetholm Terrace, whilst pedestrians will enter from Thornhill Road and Fleming Way.

Meanwhile pupils and staff at Blantyre's Auchinraith primary and nursery are also looking forward to the construction of their new £9m school.

Once again the project, to be undertaken by Keir Scotland Ltd, will be a tandem build with the existing school remaining open during construction. On completion, the old school will be demolished to make way for an outdoor pitch.

The new building which is being constructed on the existing teachers' parking and drop-off area will be built over varying heights with school and nursery accommodation being provided over three floors.

It is proposed that vehicular access to the new school will be via a one-way system with access taken from Victoria Street and cars exiting onto Calder Street.

Throughout the construction phase, however, pupils will continue to access from Victoria Street via a new entrance created to the north of the playground from Calder Street.

A drop-off and lay-by will be provided at the school entrance for a small mini bus.

The nursery access will be from Victoria Street with associated vehicular parking located adjacent to the main school entrance.

It is anticipated that work will start on both schools before the end of the year with pupils moving into their new schools before the end of 2010.

Councillor Graham Scott, the chair of the council's Planning Committee, said: "South Lanarkshire is committed to rebuilding or upgrading all 124 of its primary schools by 2016.

"More than 50 of those schools have now either been built or are under construction resulting in thousands of our pupils already reaping the benefits of new, modern and vibrant environments in which to learn."

(GK/BMcC)