A PROJECT to bring Galashiels a £55-million ‘state-of-the-art’ community campus is on track, a meeting has heard.

The development, which will replace the existing Galashiels Academy, won unanimous backing with the council’s planning committee back in September.

Members of the town’s community council heard on Wednesday that the project, due to be completed in 2025, was progressing well.

Scottish Borders Council (SBC) leader Euan Jardine, a Galashiels councillor, said: “It continues to progress.”

Fellow town representative Fay Sinclair, of the SNP, added: “Everything is going along as it should be. They’ve been in to do additional ground works. The work [on the building] will start properly in spring.”

Prior to approval, the plans faced strong criticism from the Friends of Scott Park group over what they said was the loss of “treasured green space”.

But SBC argued that it would open up more parkland for use.

The group had reportedly asked the Scottish Government to call in the plans to replace the existing academy.

When asked if there was any update on this, Ms Sinclair said: “We’re not aware of anything if they were going to bring some kind of legal action.”

Community councillor Bill White asked when a final design of the campus would be available to view.

“I’m not aware of when there’ll be a final version,” said Ms Sinclair. “There was a drop-in event at the school and there was a lot of detail on where the classrooms would be.”

An SBC spokesperson said the campus would “benefit the wider community providing an active landscape with opportunities for team sports, exercise classes, and routes for walking and running”.

The new facility will be constructed within the existing school boundary and on a portion of the town’s Scott Park. The project involves a “significant re-imagining and expansion of Scott Park”, with new play park facilities, additional greenspace and improved connections with Gala Policies and Gala Hill woodland proposed.

A variety of sporting facilities will also be included in the new build, featuring a swimming pool, 2G hockey pitch, 3G rugby & football pitch, grass football pitch, tennis courts and a running track.