Deputy First Minister marks start of construction at Jedburgh Campus

Mr Swinney joined pupils from Jedburgh Grammar, Howdenburn and Parkside primary schools and Scottish Borders councillors for the ground breaking ceremony for the innovative new facility on land at Hartrigge Park yesterday.

Jedburgh Intergenerational Community Campus will replace all three schools, with provision for nursery, primary and secondary school children alongside further education.

Community facilities will include a multi-use games area, 2G hockey pitch, 3G sports pitch, 100m running track, external changing pavilion and rural skills area.

The funding for the new campus was confirmed by Mr Swinney in August 2017, as one of four projects to share £28 million from the latest phase of the Scottish Government’s £1.8 billion ‘Schools for the Future’ programme.

The project is being taken forward by Scottish Borders Council, its development partner hub South East Scotland and appointed main contractor BAM, while enabling works are currently being carried out by Jedburgh-based contractor RJT Excavations Ltd, providing local benefits.

The main construction will begin in autumn 2018, with the project on programme to open to learners by March 2020.

Deputy First Minister John Swinney said: “I would like to thank Scottish Borders Council for inviting me to help mark the start of the process which will result in a fantastic new intergenerational campus that the whole community can be proud of.

“Learning and teaching in such an innovative and inspirational setting can make a real difference to education outcomes. That is why the Scottish Government is committed to improving Scotland’s school estate, and through our £1.8bn Schools for the Future building programme, we are providing almost £18m towards this project.”

Councillor Shona Haslam, Scottish Borders Council leader, said: “This is another hugely significant day for Jedburgh.

“While it is hard to imagine at the moment, in two years on this site we will have a brand facility which will benefit generations of people in the town.

“Extensive consultations in the community showed the vast majority were right behind the plans for a new intergenerational campus, which will provide for 2 to 102 year olds, with further education opportunities and community facilities for the whole town.

“During construction, a number of community benefits will be delivered to support the local economy, with a local firm already involved in the project.”

Paul McGirk, hub South East’s chief executive, said: “It’s exciting to mark the start of construction on site for the new campus and to be part of the team welcoming the Deputy First Minister to Jedburgh.

“We look forward to working with Scottish Borders Council and our supply chain to deliver a facility which supports a modern learning experience, fit for the needs of all generations.

“As a hub project we’re keen to ensure that a range of community benefits are realised throughout the build. I’m delighted to see Jedburgh based RJT Excavations is already benefiting from the opportunities available and we look forward to ensuring that even more local individuals and businesses can get involved during the delivery of this project.”

Bruce Dickson, regional director, BAM Construction, added: “We were delighted to be selected to deliver this project by Hub South East and Scottish Borders Council and all of our team understand the importance of the new campus to the local community.

“It has been an impressive feat to get the project on site so quickly and demonstrates what can be achieved when everyone works in partnership to reach a common goal.”

Gemma Boggs, education delivery director at the Scottish Futures Trust, said: “Our expert management of the Scotland’s Schools for the Future programme is helping all of Scotland’s 32 councils succeed in delivering the very best teaching and learning environments within ever-tightening budgets.

“As well as supporting many thousands of construction jobs, the programme is creating and delivering world-class, award-winning learning environments that not only meet future educational needs but are vibrant community assets as well.

“I am delighted to see Jedburgh Intergenerational Community Campus going into construction which is a shining example of what can be achieved with real cross-programme collaboration.”