New Bonnyrigg schools planned to meet demand

It is anticipated that this school will be completed by autumn 2018.

At a full council meeting last month, councillors approved a recommendation to build the school to serve the additional pupils coming from new housing in the area, including the Hopefield Farm development.

Councillors were advised that 1,100 houses have been completed on the Hopefield Farm development and there are a further 200 houses yet to be built.

The numbers of pupils from the new houses already attending school in Midlothian is 25 per cent more than originally predicted.

Councillors also agreed, in principle, to building a new school to replace St Mary’s RC Primary, Polton Street, Bonnyrigg.

A feasibility study will be undertaken and a further report brought back to council.

An informal consultation on a range of possible options for primary school provision in Bonnyrigg, Lasswade and Rosewell was undertaken with parents, communities and stakeholders in December 2015 and January 2016.

The favoured option from the consultation was to build a new non-denominational school on the Hopefield site and there was strong support for replacing St Mary’s.

More details will emerge in the coming months as the feasibility study on St Mary’s is completed and planning progresses for the Hopefield build.

Further consultation on primary school provision in Bonnyrigg and Lasswade will be undertaken in due course.

Hopefield Primary closed in October 2012 when the new Burnbrae Primary opened. The Hopefield building was gutted by fire in May last year and subsequently demolished.