East Renfrewshire Council has said good progress is being made regarding plans for Barrhead's new high school, as well as the town's Cowan Park.

The local authority added that a contractor to build the new replacement school had been appointed.

BAM will be responsible for the construction of the £22m facility, which will be located close to the existing building.

The firm recently completed the new £28.9m Eastwood High School in Newton Mearns.

Barrhead High School will be the second in the East Renfrewshire area to be built under the ambitious, Government-funded, 'Schools for the Future' programme, which is run by the Scottish Futures Trust.

This involves working with another Scottish council – West Dunbartonshire – using the same design team, contractor and supplier for Barrhead High and Our Lady and St Patrick's High School in Dumbarton.

Consultation to shape the design, facilities and exact location of the building will resume following the school summer break, and will be carried out with pupils, parents, staff and community users.

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The new building will be within Cowan Park, where the existing school located. The park is owned by East Renfrewshire Council. However, it has stressed that there will be no loss of green space as a result of the development because once the new school is complete, the old building will be demolished and the park land will be replaced.

The new green space would also deliver further improvements for park users as the proposed site of the new building is behind the existing school, further back from Aurs Road, meaning the front, and most publicly accessible, area of the park will again be opened up.

The proposed site is also currently under used due to its water-logged condition, so it would replace poor quality park land with green space of more value to the local community. Additional car parking spaces would be provided to further enhance the park's facilities outside of school hours.

Council officers are working closely with BDP, the school's architects, to make sure there is proper integration of the school within the park. Improvements to green space and facilities for Cowan Park in general are also being looked at and these ideas will go out to full public consultation.

They will be carried out in tandem with the development of the school.

Convener for Education and Equalities, Councillor Elaine Green, said: "A new-build replacement for Barrhead High is one of the top investment priorities for East Renfrewshire Council. Barrhead is a town benefiting from ongoing regeneration and this £22m secondary is key to that."

Convener for Environment, Councillor Vincent Waters, added: "I know how important Cowan Park is to the people of Barrhead which is why we will be working closely with the community to enhance the facilities."

(JP/CD)