Dunlop Early Childhood Centre update

In June 2019, Cabinet agreed that a new standalone ECC facility near Lugton Road, Dunlop would be built to allow for the existing early years accommodation within Dunlop Primary school to be reconfigured and refurbished to create an additional classroom and supplementary space for children and young people attending the primary school.

The site of the new build ECC required significant preparatory works to be completed and despite significant efforts from the Council, final agreement was not obtained until August 2021. These works have now been completed.

In finalising the subsequent construction contract and project costs, market testing has also been completed and final costs are now anticipated to be £0.700m higher than the original construction budget of £3.143m. This is due to the significant issues facing the construction market with the increased costs of raw materials as well as the ambitious approach the Council has in developing this project to the Passivhaus standard, which will help drive the Council’s Net Zero aspirations.

The decision taken by Cabinet means the project can now advance to a final contract award with the contractor expected to start work onsite in September 2022 and the new facility anticipated to be open late autumn 2023. Cabinet has agreed to utilise allocated funding within the Capital programme from the Scottish Government capital grant funding allocated to the Council and contribute from the existing Energy Efficiency, Sustainability, Carbon Zero capital budget that was established as part of the Council’s Capital Investment programme to help projects achieve net zero.

Councillor Elaine Cowan, Cabinet Spokesperson for Lifelong Learning, Education and Skills and Culture said: “The decision taken by Cabinet means that plans can now progress for Dunlop Early Childhood Centre and will ensure that the Council is in a position to support an increase in registered places for Early Learning and Childcare locally.

“As a Council we are committed to ensuring that our youngest learners have the best possible start to their education journey. Evidence shows that attending Early Learning and Childcare improves children’s outcomes and helps close the poverty-related attainment gap; it increases family resilience through improved health and wellbeing of children and parents and carers and importantly, supports parents and carers into work, study or training. This new Dunlop Early Childhood Centre will make a real difference to local children and their families as well as help towards mitigating climate change.”