Big plans for small school

Sep 30 2008

One of the smallest rural primary schools in South Lanarkshire is to be rebuilt as part of the council's ongoing Schools Modernisation Programme.

The existing one class Wiston Primary - which is attached to the former village schoolhouse - will be replaced with a £1.6 million modern building within the current site on Millrigg Road.

Throughout the proposed nine-month construction period, the school's 16 pupils will be educated at a purpose-built decant facility at Tinto Primary School in Symington.

The new school entrance will face onto Millrigg Road where it is proposed to provide six parking spaces (two for disabled drivers).

Councillor Graham Scott, the chair of the Planning Committee which gave detailed planning consent for the rebuild, said: "We are committed to rebuilding or upgrading all 124 of our primary schools within the next decade.

"Indeed, one of our strongest commitments is to retaining rural schools and I am delighted to see the pupils at Wiston being given a new and modern environment in which to learn.

"I have no doubt the plans will be welcomed by all in the village and by future generations of children there."

It is hoped that work on the new school will get started in the next few weeks with the children moving into the new school by the start of the 2009/10 school term.