An informal public consultation is to take place on three options for a new Abercromby Primary School in Clackmannanshire.

The consultation will ask for opinions on three options:

• Building a new Abercromby Primary School on a new site with associated community facilities

• Building a new Abercromby Primary School and St Bernadette's Primary School on a new joint campus with associated community facilities

• Building a new Abercromby Primary School and St Bernadette's and St Mungo's on a new joint campus with associated community facilities.

The consultation was agreed at yesterday's meeting of the Council.

The funding has been offered by the Scottish government's Schools for the Future Programme for the replacement of Abercromby Primary School, which was built in 1951. It will support up to 50% of the cost, with the Council funding the balance.

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The building is expected to be completed by 2020.

The consultation also presents the option of building a new St Bernadette's, to continue operating a separate school on a joint campus with Abercromby. St Mungo's could also be selected as a potential partner in the process.

Education Convener Ellen Forson said: "We want to ensure that young people in Clackmannanshire benefit from the exciting opportunities that 21st century learning facilities can deliver. It's clear that we need to replace Abercromby Primary School's buildings to help meet our high aspirations for the future, and I'm delighted that we have been able to get initial agreement for funding from Schools for the Future.

"Clackmannanshire Council has been successful in bidding for money under the schools programme, and the recently opened Redwell Primary shows just what fantastic and innovative facilities we can deliver for our children as part of the Making Clackmannanshire Better programme.

"This consultation will allow parents to consider the options of opening up this opportunity to St Bernadette's and St Mungo's pupils. This informal consultation, which will run until June, will allow a range of interested parties to have their say on the three options. A formal consultation on a single option will be held later in the year."

(IT/JP)