Scottish Borders Council has appointed BAM to deliver £46m school campus rebuild of Peebles High School in Peeblesshire, Scotland
The ‘state-of-the art’ campus will replace the previous school, that sustained damage after a fire in 2019.
With an emphasis on sustainability, the new facility has been designed by Glasgow-based architects Stallan Brand.
BAM will be responsible for multiple additional features on the site, including:
- A full external landscaping.
- Internal pathways.
- Service access and supplementary car parking.
- The extension of the school’s existing sports block.
- The provision of new external sports facilities, including a 3G all-weather sports pitch.
Scottish Borders Council’s development partner, Hub South East, will oversee the project through the various development phases.
Scottish Borders Council has placed major attention on the investment of young people’s future in recent years, and as a result a Learning Estate Programme has been created to prioritise the accessibility of high-quality education facilities across the Borders.
The full-rebuild of Peebles High School was identified as a priority project as part of the Council’s effort to modernise school infrastructure in the region.
‘World-class education facilities for young learners’
Councillor Carol Hamilton, Scottish Borders Council executive member for children and young people, commented: “The appointment of BAM Construction as tier 1 contractor for the construction of the Peebles High School campus and the announcement of our continued partnership with Hub South East marks an important step in the progression of this major project.
“We believe that BAM’s track record in successfully delivering projects of this scale can help the Council achieve its ambition of providing world-class education facilities for young learners across the Borders.
“We want to create a facility that recognises and celebrates the unique beauty of the Peebles area which can become a focal point for the surrounding area.
“Careful thought and consideration has been taken in designing a building that reflects the history of the town and blends in to its local environment”.
‘Sustainable, highly modern and extensive facilities’
Martin Cooper, construction director for BAM, said: “Not only will we deliver very sustainable, highly modern and extensive facilities for the students and staff at Peebles High School, but BAM will use our time here to work with the community and local firms to make sure we give something back beyond creating a great building.
“It’s a great opportunity for us all and we will be reaching out to our partners so that we can all make the most of it”.
Once the building is completed, pupils will be transferred to the new facility allowing for the final phase of the project which will include the demolition of existing school buildings and construction of the new car parks.
Planning applications are due to be submitted next year before a period of further design development for the project. Construction work on the new campus is expected to commence in late 2022.
