Northern Ireland-headquartered McLaughlin & Harvey has delivered extensive £2.3 million refurbishment works at Bearsden Primary School in East Dunbartonshire, Scotland.

The project focused on cost-effective remedial work for the iconic building situated behind the war memorial at Bearsden Cross.

Delivered in partnership with East Dunbartonshire Council and SCAPE Scotland, the works commenced in early January 2025. Key upgrades include the installation of four new boilers and the replacement of all windows, significantly enhancing the school's energy efficiency. The building now also features new storm doors at its main and side entrances.

A notable aspect of the project involved extensive stonework repairs, which led to an unexpected discovery. External restoration works revealed original lettering on the west elevation of the building, referring to its previous name, 'Bearsden Academy'. Following advice from Historic Environment Scotland, this original lettering has been meticulously restored, celebrating the building's rich history. Additionally, a new feature window displaying the school's current logo has been installed at the front of the building.

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Chris Boyle, Framework Director at McLaughlin & Harvey, highlighted the collaborative nature of the project: "We have completed our transformational works at Bearsden Primary School, marking another successful project for East Dunbartonshire Council through the SCAPE Framework. The nature of the works in a live primary school environment has meant that a much higher degree of coordination and collaboration was required to minimise disruption to the school's staff and pupils, and this has been evident in the project's success."

Councillor Gordan Low, East Dunbartonshire Council Leader, visited the school to inspect the completed works and extend his thanks to the officers and partners involved. He commented: "Bearsden Primary School is one of the oldest school buildings in East Dunbartonshire and required significant restoration works to ensure it remained fit for purpose as an educational facility for local children. The investment in new windows, replacement boilers and stonework repairs were vital to ensure the safety and health and wellbeing of our pupils, teachers and staff."

Councillor Low added his satisfaction with the rapid progress: “I am really pleased to see these restoration works completed in such a short space of time and that pupils and staff are benefiting from the improvements as they work and learn within the school. Furthermore, the whole community and visitors to the area can also enjoy the impressive aesthetic benefits of the external restorative work which has greatly enhanced one of Bearsden's most iconic buildings."

Gary Meechan, Head of Framework Scotland at SCAPE Scotland, praised the efficiency of the delivery: "We are delighted to have been able to support East Dunbartonshire Council in the efficient and effective delivery of the works at the impressive Bearsden Primary School building. The quality and efficiency of the delivery within the live environment is a testament to McLaughlin & Harvey's early collaboration, advice and expertise that our frameworks enable, adding to the number of projects they have successfully delivered for the council."