New nursery building is a step closer

Renfrewshire Council is set to give a Glasgow construction company the nod to build a nursery in Johnstone, writes Jack Thomson, Local Democracy Reporter.

Fleming Buildings Limited has staved off competition from eight other companies to land the design and build contract for the new Spateston Early Learning and Childcare Centre.

The nursery – costing almost £2 million – will be built on the corner of Johnstone’s Hallhill Road and Spateston Road and is set to be delivered by the spring of 2020.

Plans had originally been in place to move the Spateston Pre-Five Centre to the grounds of a refurbished St Anthony’s Primary School.

However, an investigation identified “abnormal ground conditions”and confirmed the site was at risk of flooding.

If construction was to go ahead on the original site, piling foundations and flood mitigation measures would have cost an extra £700,000 – bringing the revised cost to just over £2.5 million.

The new centre – catering for 128 children – will replace Spateston Pre-Five Centre, which is due to shut after 40 years.

The layout is expected to encourage outdoor play and include“a variety of interactive installations to support both individual and group learning.”

A key feature of the L-shaped design will be a covered courtyard for sheltered outdoor play.

A report previously stated:“Outdoor learning is becoming more popular and is seen as essential for early years, allowing pupils to be aware of and engage with their environment.

“The design offers covered outdoor learning areas as an extension of the learning from inside to out.

“These covered spaces include a sheltered water play area with an external sink, a sheltered sand pit and a sheltered loose play area.”

The authorisation of the contract will be put forward for approval at Wednesday’s Finance, Resources and Customers Services Policy Board.