A proposed 30-year programme to improve and replace schools across Angus has been approved councillors.

The Angus Schools for the Future programme sets out projects for the short, medium and long term. Schools have been ranked, in accordance with the principles agreed by the council last September, and a series of projects have been prioritised for the period 2018-47.

The first priority in the programme is the establishment of a single rural primary school for the Brechin cluster. The proposal is to develop Edzell Primary School and close Lethnot, Tarfside and Stracathro primaries.

Other plans include ambitions for the replacement of Monifieth High, a major review of all of the schools in Montrose, the creation of a single secondary school campus in Arbroath to replace the existing high school and academy and by 2023 reviews of a further ten primary schools.

Children & learning convener, Mark Salmond, said it was the first time a long term improvement plan had been developed for the county’s schools.

He added: “This is a good starting point for the development of sustainable and suitable schools for the whole county.

“We want to provide the best quality learning environments for all of our children and young people, to give them the best start in life. But we also need to make the best use of scarce resources. We need schools that are better, more sustainable, and we need fewer of them.

“We now have an agreed programme, with prioritised projects based on assessed need – the first time we have had a robust long term plan for improvement to Angus’ schools.”

Work to replace Muirfield Primary School and Ladyloan Primary School in Arbroath as part of an ambitious multi-million pound project was marked by two official site visits earlier this week.