The £10.6 million first phase of the Arbroath Schools Project is due to be rubber-stamped next week.
On Tuesday Angus councillors will consider proposals to demolish Timmergreens and Warddykes primary schools to make way for more modern facilities.
The first part of a scheme to invigorate Arbroath’s schools will cost the council £10.6m, and follows its ditching of plans for the abortive west end “superschool” at Hospitalfield.
Both schools will be rebuilt where they stand and work is expected to begin in October, pending approval by the development standards committee in Forfar.
Pupils from Timmergreens would be decanted to temporary units at Muirfield during construction and the new build is expected to open in January 2016, welcoming 222 primary-aged children and 30 pre-schoolers.
The committee will consider a report by the council’s head of planning and place, Vivien Smith, advising approval.
On the new Timmergreens, she states: “The proposal would redevelop the site entirely, removing the old school and replacing it with a single-storey school building in the north and central portion of the site.
“Existing site accesses would be retained, with principal access at Emislaw Drive to the south west and a services access on Annesley Drive to the south east.
“The proposed curved building would accommodate all classrooms and other facilities on the ground floor, with a reception area (facing) the hard-standing adjacent to the parking and access areas.”
Warddykes would be replaced by a “gently-curved” two-storey building, with classrooms on the first floor, and a dining room on the ground floor.
The local authority also wants to build two grass football pitches with playgrounds and a netball pitch.
An outdoor amphitheatre would be “modelled in the sloped contours of the site” to the south of the school.
The new Warddykes will be built to the west of the existing building, allowing the school to operate as usual.
It would open in April 2016 and host 335 children along with 40 pre-school places, with potential to accommodate another three classes.
The council has budgeted £4,207,000 for the project this financial year, £4m in 2015/16 and £2m in 2016/17.
A total of £9m has been allocated for phase two the new Hayshead Primary School construction of which is expected to begin in December next year.
Arbroath Academy will also be the recipient of a total of £1,003,000 towards improvements.
Its technology suite will be reconfigured to the tune of £808,000, with £98,000 spent this year and the bulk of the work, around £590,000, done in this financial year, with the remainder split over subsequent years.
Recent moves have also been made to modernise children’s play areas in the town’s west end, near Timmergreens.
Campaigner Kevin Barthorpe is working towards the reintroduction of equipment in two parks, and the creation of a new one.
Following consultation with equipment makers Russell Play, plans were drawn up for fully equipped parks in the town’s west end, at Newton Avenue/Fraser Path, Emislaw Drive and Hospitalfield.
Equipment costs are likely to be around £150,000, with five years of maintenance worth another £200,000 including asset transfer from the council to the community.