Hallside Primary set to be extended

£4.5m project approved

Hallside Primary is set to be extended as part of the council’s schools modernisation programme.

Planning officers last week gave the go ahead for the plan, which will see the demolition of storage area to south side of main school building, the refurbishment of main building and a new, two storey extension to the south gable.

Pupils will be decanted while the work takes place.

Lynn Sherry, head of education, said: “The original school was built by Strathclyde Regional Council and completed in 1996 with an open plan classroom design.

“A further extension was provided in 2010 consisting predominantly of nonclassroom accommodation such as new dining room and stage, computer room, kitchen, meeting and management rooms.

“This final part of the modernisation of the school will consist of internal refurbishment of the existing classroom space to create enclosed classrooms and provide modernised 21st century teaching facilities.

“The extension element of the project will include four new classrooms. When complete the new fully modernised school will have 14 separate classrooms and all associated educational accommodation.

“The budget for this project is £4.5m. The school will decant to the former Cairns Primary School in October 2016 and the construction project is targeted to take approximately 15 months.

“It is planned for the school to occupy its new refurbished building in early 2018.”

Most Rutherglen and Cambuslang schools have already been revamped under the schools modernisation project, which started in 2004.

Council leader Eddie McAvoy recently said of the programme: “Doing the best for our kids and raising attainment does not mean just focussing on exam results. Our schools are now better-equipped than ever to develop all of our pupil’s wider skills to help prepare them for the world of work or further education.

“That’s what we set out to do when we embarked on our schools modernisation programme – to improve the lives and life prospects of future generations in South Lanarkshire. It’s a legacy of which we can all be proud.”

Our schools are now better-equipped than ever