Dales Park school to be radically modified to provide better access for disabled pupils

By Jamie Buchan

ALMOST £250,000 will be spent upgrading a north-east primary school.

Dales Park at Peterhead is to be radically modified to provide better access for pupils with disabilities.

The job involves widening doorways, building ramps and upgrading toilets, as well as improving fire escape routes. A disabled parking bay will also be created outside the Berryden Road school. The work has been approved by Aberdeenshire Council officials.

Today, local councillors are expected to rubber-stamp the project and award the lucrative contract to Elgin-based Robertson Group. The building firm was one of six which applied for the job.

The total cost is just under £244,000 and will be funded from £1.5million which has been put aside by the local authority for school improvements.

Last year, education chiefs identified schools across Aberdeenshire which were in need of improvement to comply with disability access laws. Dales Park, as well as primary schools at Balmedie, Laurencekirk and Mackie and Kemnay academies, were highlighted as priorities and work is scheduled to take place over the coming year.

A council spokesman said last night: “The work to be carried out will enable the education service to meet its statutory requirements in terms of providing improved access to education for pupils with disabilities.”

The Dales Park plan will be discussed by members of the council’s Buchan area committee this morning.