The first sod has been cut at the site of the new Crookfur Family Centre as part of East Renfrewshire Council's ambitious £24 million development of five new nurseries.
Children from Crookfur Primary Nursery Class joined councillors, council staff and contractors to mark the important milestone for the project.
The new-build facilities, three of which will operate as family centres providing childcare for 50 weeks of the year, are planned to be open by August 2020.
With the council required to provide increased free childcare for all three and four-year-olds and eligible two-year-olds by 2020, the new nurseries will play a significant part in delivering this.
As part of the move Crookfur Primary Nursery Class will be relocated to this new facility on the site of the former Crookfur Pavilion.
Once opened, the facility will continue to be managed by Crookfur Primary Head Teacher Sheena McGuigan and will offer more places than available at present, as well as opening all year round, rather than just term time.
Councillor Paul O'Kane, Convener for Education and Equalities, said: "It's exciting to reach this important milestone in our early years expansion plan, which will see five new state-of-the-art nurseries created. They will provide fantastic facilities for our youngest learners, with amazing outdoor space to allow them to expand their curiosity through play.
"This marks the start of this ambitious project and work on all five new sites will get under way over the next few months. We are committed to providing the very best learning environment for all the children and young people in East Renfrewshire and this project will deliver just that for our residents."
Local authorities currently provide 600 free hours a year and this will increase to 1,140, which is in effect a rise to 30 hours per week, matching the time children spend each week in primary school.
In addition to the Crookfur facility, the new nurseries will be built within Overlee Park, a replacement for Glenwood Family Centre on an adjacent site, and two new centres within the grounds of Busby and Eaglesham primaries.
As part of the work to create new nursery facilities the council is also proposing to incorporate improved community and sports facilities within two of the centres.
The existing Crookfur and Overlee pavilions are both in need of significant improvements, and will benefit from being included in these new facilities.
The other nurseries also being developed as part of the expansion plan, include a new 60 place nursery class extension at Cross Arthurlie Primary, plus improved facilities at Hazeldene Family centre, Carolside Nursery Class and Braidbar Nursery Class.
(MH/JG)
Time and date
CONSTRUCTION DIRECTORY
Latest Construction News
22/11/2024
SP Energy Networks has announced a major investment in Britain's electricity grid, selecting 19 preferred partners to deliver a £5.4bn supply chain programme. This significant initiative aims to meet increasing energy demand and facilitate future growth. The selected companies, many of which are ...
22/11/2024
Edinburgh City Council has launched a 12-week public consultation on a new strategy to revitalise Princes Street and the wider Waverley Valley. The vision aims to create a more vibrant and welcoming city centre, attracting investment, supporting businesses, and enhancing the visitor ...
22/11/2024
Ener-G Services Limited, a leading UK electrical engineering company specialising in renewables, marine, and offshore sectors, has expanded its operations in Westhill, Aberdeenshire. The company has leased Unit 6E at Kingshill Commercial Park, a 2,500 sq ft space, on a 5-year lease. This new ...
22/11/2024
A consortium of leading scientists, industry experts, and academic institutions has joined forces to accelerate Scotland's offshore wind sector. The £2.5 million project, led by the University of Edinburgh in collaboration with the University of Dundee and the Forth and Tay Offshore cluster (FTO), ...
22/11/2024
The Port of Aberdeen and Turner & Townsend were highly commended in the 'Engineering, Construction & Infrastructure Project of the Year' category at the APM Project Management Awards 2024. The award recognises excellence in project management and the positive impact on end-users. The £420 million ...
22/11/2024
South Lanarkshire Council's £10 million fire safety improvement programme has reached a significant milestone, with CCG (Scotland) completing installations in over 1,700 high-rise residences across East Kilbride and Cambuslang. The Glasgow-based construction firm has been working closely with the ...
22/11/2024
SSEN Transmission, a key player in the UK's energy transition, is set to further expand its workforce and move into a new, sustainable office space in Glasgow. The company's commitment to net zero and the increasing demand for green energy workers has led to significant growth, with the number of ...
22/11/2024
Scottish Water is investing in the upgrade of its Loch Eck clean water plant in Dunoon. The project involves replacing outdated dry well pumps with new, more reliable pumps capable of operating in both wet and dry conditions. WGM Engineering, an RSK Group company, has been tasked with carrying out ...
22/11/2024
Scottish Land & Estates has expressed serious concerns over the Scottish Government's Land Reform Bill, particularly the provisions that would allow ministers to force landowners to sell large estates in lots. Sarah-Jane Laing, the organisation's chief executive, stated that while the land-based ...
22/11/2024
Clark Contracts employees have once again shown their commitment to community engagement by volunteering at Silverburn Park in Leven. On Thursday, 21st November, 16 members of the team spent their day planting over 400 trees and carrying out other landscaping tasks. This latest volunteering effort ...