Scottish Borders Council had hoped to begin construction of the facility last summer however it was one of a number of projects put on hold following a European ruling over funding.

The Scottish Government revealed in November that the issue had been resolved allowing work to start on the ten schools and two health centres which had been affected.

Now the agreement of all financial paperwork associated with the new school has been achieved and work is expected to start on the site at Nethershot on Angraflat Road in the coming weeks.

The school, being delivered by the council in partnership with hub South East Scotland and its appointed contractor Morrison Construction, will include new grass and synthetic sports pitches as well as community facilities.

In addition, Galliford Try’s Facilities Management business will provide ongoing hard facilities maintenance and lifecycle management to the school over the 25-year concession period.

Councillor Sandy Aitchison, executive member for education, said: “The reaching of financial close is the final hurdle for this long-awaited school project.

“The existing school building has served generations of pupils in Kelso and the surrounding area well, but the need for a state of the art facility for the community is apparent.

“I look forward to seeing the first sod cut to mark the official start of construction of the new Kelso High School.”

Paul McGirk, chief executive of hub South East Scotland Ltd, said: “It’s fantastic to reach this major milestone and know that work will soon be able to start on the construction of the new Kelso High School.

“We look forward to continuing our successful partnership with Scottish Borders Council to deliver a first-class, modern facility, designed to meet the needs of pupils, staff and the local community.”

Eddie Robertson, managing director for Morrison Construction’s Central Scotland business, added: “We are delighted to be able to continue our relationship with Scottish Borders Council and Hub South East Scotland, to deliver the new Kelso High School.

“We will be working hard with all the stakeholders involved to maximise the opportunities that this project can create for local people and local businesses, while providing pupils and staff with a high quality educational facility that will stand the test of time.”