Groundwork begins for new £46m high school at Wallyford

The new Wallyford Secondary Learning Campus will be built on farmland west of Masons Way and is expected to take about two years to build.

A spokeswoman for East Lothian Council said that the preparatory groundworks would include the erection of fencing around the perimeter, and excavation and removal of topsoil. Ecological surveys of the site have already been carried out.

Preparatory work has started on the site of the new high school at Wallyford

She said: “The preparatory works will be delivered by East Lothian Council’s development partner Hub South East and Morrison Construction. Morrison Construction has written to residents in neighbouring properties to advise them of the activity. Every effort will be made to minimise disruption during the preparatory works, which are due to complete by early summer.

“A full planning application for the facility was submitted in January and is currently being considered by the council’s planning department. The final determination will be made at a forthcoming meeting of the authority’s planning committee.

“A full construction timetable will be made available following the outcome of the planning process.

“As the site is allocated for educational use in the East Lothian Local Development Plan (LDP), preparatory works can be undertaken ahead of a planning determination.”

Preparatory groundworks for the new Wallyford Secondary Learning Campus are underway. The site is to the right hand side heading up Futures Way towards the new Wallyford Primary School from the Strawberry Corner roundabout. Photo:Angus Bathgate

A playground, sports pitches, landscaping, fencing, lighting, CCTV and an external storage enclosure are included in the plan, which has been lodged by the council for the site next to Inchview Crescent, north of the new Wallyford Primary School.

About 2,050 new homes are set to be built in the Wallyford area.

In April 2016, approval was given by the council to consult on the proposal to establish a new, additional secondary school in Wallyford to serve the Musselburgh area.

A report on the public consultation revealed that of the 423 questionnaire responses received, a clear majority supported the proposal.

At that time, it was stated that the new school would accommodate pupils from the catchment areas of Wallyford Primary School and Pinkie St Peter’s Primary School in Musselburgh.

A planning statement said the design of the campus would include a new community centre to replace the current set-up at Wallyford.

A 92-space car park is proposed.

The site of the new secondary campus is marked in red and the location of the present Wallyford Primary School can been seen in yellow. At the top left of the map is the Wallyford Toll roundabout. The secondary campus will be built on farmland west of

The new building would provide a school of excellence for pupils with severe and complex needs, an adult day centre and tots and teens facilities “to ensure educational facilities are enhanced for a wide variety of users from within Wallyford and the wider Musselburgh area through construction of the new facility”.

It would provide “brand new, modern facilities” accessible to all whilst offering access to other facilities in the building such as a learning resource centre, drama spaces, dining facilities, and sports halls and fitness suites.

Scottish Government funding has been announced for the new high school and proposed new Whitecraig Primary School as part of a £33 billion investment in Scotland’s future. The Infrastructure Investment Plan (IIP) and Capital Spending Review confirmed a five-year plan of investment that will support 45,000 jobs and build healthcare facilities, schools and local facilities across Scotland.