Work starts on new Forfar Community Campus

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Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure, Investment and Cities Keith Brown performs the Sod Cutting.[/caption] Work has started on a £38 million project to create a new state of the art modern educational and community facility in Forfar. On hand to cut the first sod to mark the construction phase of the project was Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure, Investment and Cities Keith Brown. The Forfar Community Campus project will incorporate the replacement for Forfar Academy, Forfar Swimming Pool and Lochside Leisure Centre. The new facility is being developed by Angus Council in partnership with the Hub East Central Scotland - which has been established to cover the Tayside, Perthshire, Fife and Central areas and which the council can use to deliver community projects of this nature. Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure, Investment and Cities Keith Brown said: “This ceremony is an important and exciting milestone for the new Forfar Community Campus and I’m delighted to be part of it. “The Scottish Government’s £20.9 million Schools for the Future funding to Angus Council for the new Forfar Academy will provide a fantastic educational facility that will serve the local community for generations to come. “This new school will be an inspiring environment for pupils to learn in, but will also be the heart of the community here and I look forward to seeing the new school when it opens to pupils.” The council’s education convener Sheena Welsh welcomed the start of construction at the site: “I am delighted to see work start in earnest on this project which will create a facility of which everyone in Forfar can be proud. “The campus approach allows us to bring together a range of enhanced services and spaces designed for use both during and out with the school day by the whole community. “We want young people in Angus to be educated in learning facilities that are fit for the 21^st century and this new community campus is the latest in a series of improvements progressed by the council. “To achieve this, we have been investing in our school and property estate across the county. These modern, multi-functional and welcoming facilities will support and enhance the learning and teaching, while creating greater opportunity for community use.” Kevin Dickson, Regional Managing Director at Robertson Group, said: “When complete, this new facility will bring benefits to the Forfar community for generations to come. It is a privilege for Robertson to be involved in such an important project for the area and we are looking forward to working with our partners and the local community as the new campus takes shape.” Gary Bushnell, Chief Executive, Hub East Central Scotland, said: “We have worked closely with Angus Council to reach this key milestone and look forward to delivering modern, high-quality facilities that will meet the needs of the community. This project is a shining example of our focus on the delivery on sustainable community facilities, using our expertise to achieve best value. It is one of 42 on-going projects, together valued at over £500 million, that Hub East Central Scotland is currently delivering across Angus, Tayside, Forth Valley, Fife, and Perthshire." Grant Robertson, Associate Director at Scottish Futures Trust stated: “I am delighted to see the next school within the Scotland’s Schools for the Future programme go into construction and I look forward to seeing the Forfar Community Campus open and witness the real value of the programme with pupils being taught in modern, first-class facilities. Work on the campus will also be welcome news to many local SMEs in the building industry. The project will provide a massive boost to the number of work-placements, apprenticeships and training opportunities that will be created through the delivery partner, hub East Central Scotland Ltd.” The new building will welcome pupils and the wider community in February 2017.