A turf cutting ceremony has taken place on the site of Windygoul Primary School, marking the start of construction work.

The project will see a new extension added onto the school in East Lothian.

The work is being carried out by Morrison Construction, under a Hub South East Scotland Ltd contract.

Windygoul Primary School first opened in 2007 and is known for being ecologically sensitive and energy-efficient. Since then, it has been extended by four permanent classrooms, while an additional four temporary classrooms were erected in summer 2013 to meet an increasing intake of pupils. With this latest permanent extension, budgeted at £3.8m, a total of 25 classrooms will be provided, as well as an expanded dining area, additional general purpose rooms and ancillary spaces. The temporary classroom units will then be removed from the site.


It is anticipated the project will be completed in time for the commencement of the new school term in August 2015.

Paul McGirk, Chief Executive of Hub South East Scotland, said: "A key aspect of the Hub initiative is working with our public sector partners to develop solutions which address future requirements. The school extension at Windygoul is an excellent example of this in action.

"We are delighted that work has now begun on site and we look forward to continuing our successful working relationship with East Lothian Council, delivering a new modern facility which will meet the long term needs of both pupils and staff."

Eddie Robertson, Regional Director, Morrison Construction Scotland – Central, added: "Morrison Construction is delighted to be responsible for the new build extensions to the existing Windygoul Primary School facility, another project in our very successful partnerships with both East Lothian Council and Hub South East.

"Officially marking the start of work with a traditional turf cutting ceremony, we look forward to continuing this spirit of partnership and are confident that with our experienced and dedicated site management team we will deliver what we do best – that is, building quality facilities."

(JP/CD)