£2.5m investment is recipe for success

Works at five Highland Primary Schools have recently been completed providing additional dining and catering facilities to help improve the provision and take up of school meals.

The works were managed and delivered by the Council’s Property Section, in the Development and Infrastructure Service at the following schools with respective contractors:

• Glenurquhart and Lochardil Primaries (Morgan Sindall);
• Dingwall and Newtonmore Primaries (Morrison Construction); and
• Balloch Primary (McGregor Construction).

The total cost of these projects, part of the Care and Learning Service Capital Programme, was approximately £2.5M. Most of the funding came from a capital allocation from the Scottish Government to support the delivery of free school meals to children in Primary 1 to 3.

The investment has resulted in enhanced kitchen and dining facilities that will help to meet the additional demand in each of the schools. 

Projects comprised:

• the construction of extensions to increase the capacity of existing dining halls, 
• provision of new welfare/office facilities for staff and 
• replacement/refurbishment of existing production kitchens.

The projects were challenging given that the kitchens were out of commission during the works and were carried out in term-time. Contingency plans were put in place in order to provide school meals during the works.  

Chair of Education, Children and Adult Services Committee, Cllr Drew Millar said: “I am delighted that these works are now complete and that the schools, staff and pupils are now benefitting from the new kitchen and catering facilities. It’s important to encourage the eating of school meals from an early age to try and foster the habit of healthy eating and providing the best possible catering facilities we can is a positive support in the right direction."