Financial close for Wick Campus puts project full steam ahead

22nd December 2014

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The Highland Council is pleased to announce that 'financial close' of the Wick Campus project was achieved, Friday 19 December 2014. With financial close, the Design, Build, Finance and Maintain (DBFM) contract has now been signed off for the £48.5m project which is due to complete in September 2016.

The Wick Campus project will see a new community campus for Wick incorporating replacements for the existing Wick High School, a replacement Primary School (Newton Park Primary School) for the existing South Primary School and Pulteneytown Academy Primary School. The Campus will also replace the existing community swimming pool and community library facilities with new provision.

The Wick Campus project is part of the Scottish Government 'Scotland's Schools for the Future programme', and the Council welcomes the significant financial and project support from Scottish Government and the Scottish Futures Trust which has allowed the project to progress.

Councillor Alasdair Christie, Chairman of The Highland Council's Education, Children and Adult Services Committee said: "I am very pleased that the Wick Campus contract has now been signed off and the community can look forward to the new facilities being available. This is another major milestone in the Council's programme of school building."

Caithness Civic Leader Councillor Gail Ross added: "I welcome the news about the Campus project, which when added to the Noss Primary School and Council Office projects represents very significant investment in the town.

"This is a great relief to the parents and the wider community in East Caithness. The campus has been a long time coming and finally we can move forward to seeing more action on site. I would like to thank all our staff that have worked really hard on reaching this stage."

Wick councillor Bill Fernie who was previously chairman of Education, Culture and Sport committee when planning began said,"We are all pleased that finally the contract is signed. The council already had started things moving by an Early Works contract to make sure that thing got moving without more delays. The project in addition to being a great education boost for the area puts huge shot in the arm economically to Caithness."