Planning permission has been granted for Inverclyde Council's four new PPP schools.

The Council's Planning Board gave the green light to the plans for two new primary schools and two new secondary schools at a meeting yesterday.

The project will see Gourock High School and Greenock Academy merged into a new 950-capacity building on the current site of St Columba's High School in Gourock.

St Laurence's and St Kenneth's in Greenock will merge into a new 495-capacity building on St Kenneth's existing site and this will incorporate nursery accommodation to replace Blairmore Nursery.

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Earnhill and Ravenscraig Primaries in Greenock will also merge into a new, 429-capacity school in Larkfield, Greenock and this will incorporate nursery accommodation to replace Aileymill Nursery.

The scheme will also deliver an 850-capacity replacement building for Notre Dame High School, Greenock on the existing Notre Dame site, with a language and communication base incorporated.

Councillor David Wilson, Chair of the Planning Board, said: "This is a unique occasion - nobody can remember the Planning Board ever being asked to approve four new schools at the one sitting. This decision heralds the start of a new era for education in Inverclyde. Our children deserve to be educated in modern buildings that are fit for the 21st century and these four new schools will play a major part in making this a reality. I am looking forward to seeing the new schools take shape."

Work will commence later this year on constructing the primary schools, with completion anticipated in early 2010. Work will start on the secondary schools in late 2009 with completion in summer 2011.

(GK/JM)