Work is due to commence on a £1.5m refurbishment project at Central Primary School, Inverness.

The project will see two buildings at the school refurbished.

LDN Architects has designed the plans, which will see many of the original features retained, while Morgan Sindall has been appointed to carry out the work.

The work will see the transformation of the former Gaelic medium unit on the site. Currently lying empty, the building will be converted to accommodate a kitchen, dining hall and two nursery classrooms. This development will allow meals to be prepared at the school, while the new dining area will remove the current restrictions on the use of the school hall for PE and other activities. The additional nursery classroom will also provide room for three- and four-year-olds within the catchment area who wish to attend the school.

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This work is due to be completed by August 2014.

In addition to the above, improvements will also be carried out at the adjacent Block C. This currently houses the Doorways pupil support facility for primary age children who have challenging behaviour and are unable to sustain full-time attendance in mainstream primary classes. It also contains the hall along with other school accommodation.

Under the project, the works will see the Doorways unit expanded to help meet the demand for places at the facility, while the remainder of the block will be upgraded with the current kitchen servery being demolished. The work to this block has been given a scheduled completion date for October 2014.

Councillor Alasdair Christie, Chairman of the Education Children and Adult Services Committee, said: "We are delighted to be able to invest in the refurbishment of these long-established and fine looking school buildings, which will result in a significant improvement in the facilities at the school."

(JP)