Balfour Beatty, as main contractor, has successfully handed over the new Blindwells Primary School and Craighall Primary School to East Lothian Council.

This major undertaking, with a combined project cost estimated at £49.6 million, significantly boosts early learning, childcare, and primary education capacity in response to ongoing housing developments in both the Craighall and Blindwells areas.

The local authority appointed Hub South East to deliver the new schools. The buildings evolved from initial design concepts by the council's Strategic Asset and Capital Plan Management team and JM Architects, in collaboration with Hub South East. The new facilities build on the successful partnership that previously delivered Wallyford Learning Campus and Wallyford Primary School.

A key feature of the new schools is their design, which has incorporated Passivhaus principles. This approach ensures the buildings are highly energy-efficient, contributing to reduced operational costs and supporting the Scottish Government's progressive environmental targets. Internal fit-out works will now continue to prepare the spaces for opening in August.

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East Lothian Council's Cabinet member for Education and Children's and Family Services, Councillor Fiona Dugdale, praised the collaborative effort: "Developing two schools at the same time is a major undertaking and I am delighted that we have met our schedule for handover and can now progress with the finishing touches to prepare the schools for children in August. I'd like to congratulate all of the teams from our council strategic assets and education services, Hub South East and Balfour Beatty who have brought these projects from initial plans through to the completed buildings we see today."

Andrew Thornton, Hub South East's Project Director, added: "Continuing our successful partnership, we're delighted to have handed over East Lothian Council's latest investment in its education estate. The designs for these new schools have been developed using Passivhaus principles, so pupils and staff will not only benefit from modern new learning spaces, the buildings themselves will be energy efficient and will assist our Client in meeting progressive Scottish Government environmental targets, ensuring a lasting legacy beyond construction."

Atholl McKay, Portfolio Director at Balfour Beatty, commented on the completion: "We are proud to celebrate the successful completion of the new Blindwells and Craighall Primary Schools, which will serve East Lothian's growing communities for generations to come. These modern, state-of-the-art schools are the result of a collaborative effort between Balfour Beatty, East Lothian Council and Hub South East, and represent a positive legacy that will extend well beyond the classroom."

The projects were predominantly funded through Section 75 developer contributions, reflecting the direct link between new housing and the need for educational infrastructure. Both schools are set to welcome children from August.