Work has commenced on a new £30m community campus at Alford.

The Alford Community Campus will be built off town's Greystone Road – to the west of the existing facilities.

Initial works will take place over the next 27 weeks and this will include site preparation, excavation, drainage and landscaping works. This is due to be completed by the end of April 2014.

The construction of an access road to the new campus, which started this summer, will be completed by the end of the year, while main construction works are set to begin in early 2014. They will be carried out by Miller Construction and delivered via hub North Scotland in partnership with Aberdeenshire Council. The campus is scheduled to open in 2015.

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The new facilities will cater for pupils in early years, primary and secondary education and include a theatre, gym, sports hall and a dance studio, as well as all-weather and grass playing fields. In addition, supporting the wider community will be a swimming pool, community library and accommodation for Aberdeenshire Council's community learning and development team.

Chair of Aberdeenshire Council's Infrastructure Services Committee, Councillor Peter Argyle, said: "These important preparatory works will ensure the site is in the perfect condition for construction of the campus to begin next year. The new facility will be a great asset for the Alford community and the council's school estate."

Angus Macfarlane, Chief Executive of hub North Scotland, added: It's an exciting time for hub North Scotland as this is our first school project to begin on site and is one of many projects that we hope to commence work on in the coming months."

(JP/CD)