The new school, which will cater for 800 pupils from a mix of town and rural catchment areas, will be delivered by hub North Scotland after it was appointed as development partner by The Moray Council.

Last week it was reported that council officers had managed to negotiate £400k off the 10,378 sq m building’s construction costs.

Following the costs agreement construction is due to start on site soon, with a turf-cutting ceremony scheduled for March 16th.

Replacing the existing school on the northern section of the same site, the new school, alongside its educational element, will also have an important role as a community facility with a separate sports provision set to be available for use by the wider public.

The first phase of the project is planned to be completed by October 2017 which will include the creation of the new school and sports block complex. Phases two and three are set to be finished by June 2018.

Angus Macfarlane, chief executive of hub North Scotland, said: “Financial close is a vital milestone for the construction of the new Elgin High School and one that I am sure is welcomed by all involved parties as well as the project’s most important stakeholders; the pupils themselves.

“hub North Scotland is delighted to have been appointed development partner for the project and we are focussed on a delivering a first-class facility on behalf of The Moray Council. We believe that this school will, on completion, be of great benefit to those within the region and will be enjoyed by the people of Moray for many years to come.”

George Hood, Balfour Beatty managing director north Scotland, said: “We are pleased to have worked in very close collaboration with hub North Scotland and The Moray Council to bring this project to fruition. We will start construction work now in earnest by bringing our expert delivery team across from RAF Lossiemouth where they have consistently delivered to time, budget and quality.”

hub North Scotland comprises Alba Community Partnerships (a joint venture of Galliford Try Investments, Equitix and Sweett Investment Services), Scottish Futures Trust and 16 Northern Territory Partners, working with local suppliers and contractors to deliver quality buildings and services.