A major redevelopment of Lochaber High School is to continue after the Robertson Group was awarded a contract for the third phase of the project.

The total value of this phase is approximately £11m, bringing the overall capital investment in the school since 2008, to more than £26m.

The third phase will consist of a new extension as well as a refurbishment to part of the existing building and will provide:

• new kitchen and dining facilities

• a new main entrance, administration block and school library

• new pitched roofs and external wall cladding to the remaining flat roofed classroom blocks

-- Advertisement --

• installation of a new lift

• refurbishment of the assembly hall

• some demolition work

• external landscaping and resurfacing of car park

In addition, enabling works have been undertaken and include the installation of a temporary kitchen and dining accommodation and also asbestos removal work.

Councillor Alasdair Christie, Chairman of the Adult and Children's Service Committee, said: "This is a major commitment by the Council to ensure that the pupils and staff of Lochaber High benefit from a 21st century learning environment.

"Already the school community is enjoying the improvements completed in the early phases of the redevelopment."

Previous development work included demolition, the building of a new centre for Sports and Drama and new departments for Social Subjects, Computing, Business Studies, Home Economics and Technical, as well as a Pupil Support Base, offices, toilets, a meeting room and the installation of a biomass heating system.

Work on the third phase is scheduled to begin on Monday 3 June with a completion date of April 2015.

(JP/IT)