Morrison Construction’s Building Central business unit has
signed contracts to build the new Beatlie School in Livingston, on behalf of
West Lothian Council and its development partner Hub South East.
The Beatlie School provides specialist education for pupils aged three to
eighteen with severe and complex support and profound medical needs.
The new £15m purpose-built facility, in its new location at Craigswood in
Livingston, will be a centre of excellence for children and young people,
providing cutting-edge educational facilities.
Along with the core education facilities for nursery, primary and secondary
pupils, plans for the new school will include a hydrotherapy pool, a life
skills area, multi-purpose hall and sensory garden. In addition to this, the
new school will also include the most up-to-date assistive technology products
which are designed to help facilitate greater independence for those with
mobility issues to explore their surroundings by increasing, maintaining or
improving their functional capabilities.
The new school will feature enhanced energy reduction measures and provide
parent support facilities, including accommodation for partner agencies and support
services including the NHS Child Development Centre (CDC), which currently
support pupils throughout West Lothian. NHS Lothian is allocating around £1.5
million to the project cover the cost of the new CDC facility.
The new Beatlie School campus that is being developed with council
investment and additional funding as part of the Scottish Government's Learning
Estate Investment Programme is set to begin on site mid-June and is expected to
be completed by late 2023.
David Ewing, Managing Director for Morrison Construction Building Central,
commented: “We are delighted to be continuing our relationship with West
Lothian Council and Hub South East to create another inspirational learning
space for young people in the region. Working together, we have an excellent
track record of creating fantastic school buildings and we look forward to
adding to this at Beatlie.”
Roddy Clark, Hub South East’s Operations Director, said: “A great deal of
work from all partners has gone into the development and design of this project
in the background, so reaching Financial Close is a significant milestone in
making the new Beatlie School a reality.
“Hub South East is proud to continue to be entrusted with the delivery of
West Lothian Council’s investment in its learning estate and we’re particularly
excited about this project in relation to its innovative use of assistive
technology.
West Lothian’s Executive councillor for education Andrew McGuire added:
“Financial close is an important step forward in the journey to deliver a
fantastic new home for Beatlie School.
“The state-of-the-art facility will make a positive impact on the lives of
local young people when it opens in next year.”
