£75.5m has been approved by Falkirk Council for a three year spending programme which will see investment in infrastructure, the environment and education.

£1.6m is to be spent on business property reinvestment to encourage economic growth, while £4.15m will go towards the regeneration of Denny town centre.

£6m has been part-allocated for a new special school to replace the existing Carrongrange school.

£2.9m will go towards extensions to Antonine and St Joseph’s Primary schools and £8m on general investment across all schools.

The Council has allocated £12.3m for on-going roads, bridges and street lighting improvements, £960k on new parking near Falkirk High station, £640k on improvements for walking, cycling and safer streets and £1.05m on road safety initiatives.

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£900k will be spent on restoration of the Kinneil Kerse landfill, £830k on providing additional internment space in cemeteries and £280k on playpark upgrades.

£3.45m has been allocated for improvements to older people’s accommodation at Burnbrae, Summerford and Oakbank care homes.

Councillor Craig Martin, Leader of Falkirk Council said: "Facing up to a funding shortage of nearly £11m means that we have had to examine closely where our priorities lie.

"Frontline services have been prioritised and we continue to make efficiency savings across all areas of our work.

"We are using £2.8m of our reserves to ensure that these services continue and that our communities can continue to be supported.

"We have a large scale investment programme that will help boost the local economy and it is estimated that the investment programme can inject £190m ensuring that local jobs are protected and, wherever possible, expanded.

"Young people and their employment ambitions also featured in our priorities and we are committed to giving them real job and training opportunities."

(IT)