Five pupils from Aviemore Primary School helped mark a start to work at the new £11.9 million Aviemore Community Primary school.

House captains Hannah McIver, Laura Noble, Emma McKenzie, Kennady McGlynn and Iona Wright, joined Councillor Bill Fernie, Chairman of The Highland Council’s Education Culture and Sport Committee in turning the first turfs at the Muirton site in the heart of the community.

The contract has been awarded by the Council to GRAHAM Construction, whose directors were present at the ceremony. Completion is scheduled for April 2012.

The school facilities will include 10 primary classrooms, 2 general purpose classrooms and a resources area; a main hall; wrap around nursery unit and childcare facilities (with independent access); assisted support needs facilities; multi-purpose sports hall; kitchen and dining facilities; support for learning unit; biomass boiler and a fenced sports pitch.

It will also feature a range of community facilities including a community library, service point, sports changing facilities, multi purpose activity room, meeting room, learning centre and Service Point reception with interview rooms.

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The development has been designed in house by the Council’s Housing and Property Service on behalf of the Education, Culture and Sport Service as client sponsor. Project management services will also be provided ‘in house’.

As part of the overall operational management of the new community facilities, a management agreement has been established between Aviemore Community Centre Company and the Council’s Education, Culture and Sport Service.

Councillor Bill Fernie, Chairman of the Education Culture and Sport Committee, said: “This is an another exciting milestone in this community project, which promises to provide Aviemore with a very special learning and community hub.”

Speaking on behalf of the four Badenoch and Strathspey Ward Members, Councillor Gregor Rimell said: “Today is a very special day for the future of Aviemore. I would like to thank all those individuals and the community groups who have worked to bring about this wonderful development for the benefit of, not just the youngsters, but everybody, for all generations. We have had dozens of meetings, formal and informal, many a discussion standing on the site looking into the future. Together we have got there. We owe much to Rona Smith, the head teacher, John Grierson chair of the community council, and especially Willie McKenna chair of the community company, who has had this vision for decades.”

Willie McKenna, Chairman of the Aviemore Community Centre, said: “This is a red letter day for Aviemore. We are all greatly looking forward to our new school which will bring our community together at one focal point.”

Michael Graham, executive chairman at GRAHAM Construction, said: “This is a tremendously important project for GRAHAM and we are looking forward to starting work on the Aviemore Community School. Projects such as this demonstrate that GRAHAM is a major contributor to the Scottish construction industry and we are pleased to be involved in the delivery of a first-class educational facility for The Highland Council, which will be warmly welcomed by both staff and pupils. On completion in 2012, the new school will be a highly-valued community resource as well as a state-of-the-art building with impressive green credentials.”

(GK)