Permission granted for Elgin primary

PLANNING approval has been granted for a new school in Elgin.

Linkwood Primary will be located to the south of the town in a new area called Linkwood Village and will house up to 464 pupils across 16 ‘class bases’.

There will be a mainstream additional support needs roll of 12 and a nursery for up to 40 children.

The primary, being brought forward by HUB North Scotland on behalf of the local authority, will have an area of around 3780 square metres across two floors and sits on a site of just under two hectares. It will provide permanent accommodation for the temporary Linkwood Primary School, currently co-located at East End Primary.

The primary has more space to accommodate pupils from the new houses being built as part of Springfield’s Elgin South masterplan, the first phase of which includes 870 new homes, along with a range of community facilities and a new sports centre.

A report to Moray Council’s planning and regulatory services committee this morning stated: “Initially, the school development will appear isolated and detached from other development within Elgin South but, over time, further development within the Elgin South area, whether already approved or planned within subsequent phases of development, will help to integrate and provide a context and setting for this school which, along with other community facilities, will provide a focus for development within a new village to be formed at the centre of Elgin South.”

As part of the application, permission has been granted for a car park, playground and outside cycle and equipment stores. In the playground, there will be mounded areas, a sand pit, allotments, an outdoor classroom area and a multi-use games court.

While committee members gave their unanimous backing to the plan, Councillor Claire Feaver described the design as “unimaginative” and called for more landscaping around the building.