Sweett Group, UK-based construction and property consultancy firm, announced in early May that Sweett Investment Services (SIS), in conjunction with hub North Scotland Limited, achieved commercial close on the Brimmond Primary School PPP project in Aberdeen, UK.

Derek Sharkey, PPP Director of SIS and Project Director for hub North Scotland, stated:

We are delighted to have reached Contract Close on this project and work commencing on site. This is the first of three schools where we are working in partnership with both Aberdeen City Council and hub North Scotland and look forward to further developing these relationships for the benefit of the local communities.

The project cost is estimated at £11.9million.

The new primary school will serve the Bucksburn and Newhills areas in Aberdeen and will make educational provision in two streams, requiring 420 places for primary pupils and 80 nursery places with accommodation for the Visual Support Services.

In addition to classroom and administration space, the innovative plans feature a range of outdoor provision including a cycle track to enable road safety lessons to take place within school complex, courts for basketball and netball in addition to an all-weather sports pitch, an adventure playground, a sensory garden and a woodland wildlife area.

Bucksburn School and Newhills Schools were amalgamated to create Brimmond School in August 2013. Temporary arrangements were made to the Bucksburn School site to accommodate pupils and staff from Newshills School, which allowed the demolition of the existing building and construction of the new school on the Newhills site.

The new school building is expected to be operational in August 2015.

The project is the latest in Aberdeen to be delivered using the hub model, in which hub North Scotland has been appointed by Aberdeen City Council as development partner and will lead the project. Hub North Scotland recently marked the opening of the Aberdeen Community Health and Care Village, which it delivered for NHS Grampian.

Hub North Scotland has a £435 million development pipeline for the next 10 years as it delivers in sectors including healthcare, education and the emergency services.