Bigger and better education and community facilities that put service and people first were today (Wednesday 28 November) identified as the key priorities for the new phase of North Lanarkshire Council's school modernisation programme.

A total of eleven secondary school projects and the review of various primary schools were approved by the council's Learning & Leisure Services Committee as additional priorities for the 2008-12 phase of the programme, which has been renamed Schools and Centres 21 to reflect the comprehensive and inclusive nature of North Lanarkshire's schools as community hubs.

A total of £250 million has been identified within the council's own resources to deliver improved school and community facilities between 2008 and 2012, and four school improvement projects have previously been approved by committee:

a new St Ambrose High School with a co-located Drumpark Secondary;

a new Greenhill Primary with a co-located Drumpark Primary;

a new Alexandra and Rochsolloch Primaries shared campus (approved in principle only); and

a new Cathedral Primary with a co-located Firpark Primary.

It is estimated that these projects – which are all in various stages of development – will require investment of around £130 million and, at today's committee meeting, councillors approved a long-list and the priority projects for the remaining £120 million.

Committee members agreed that the priorities would be improvements to eleven secondary schools across the North Lanarkshire area as well as some primary projects where options could include refurbishment, amalgamation or new-build provision.

The secondary schools selected as a high priority for refurbishment – with the inclusion of community facilities where appropriate – are Coltness High, Wishaw; Clyde Valley High, Wishaw; Caldervale High, Airdrie; Brannock High, Newarthill; Abronhill High, Cumbernauld; Cumbernauld High, Cumbernauld; Greenfaulds High, Cumbernauld; Calderhead High, Shotts; Bellshill Academy, Bellshill; Taylor High, New Stevenson; Chryston High, Chryston.

Priority primary projects – where education provision will be reviewed and options developed that may include upgrading, amalgamation, new-build, shared campus arrangements (subject to the outcome of the review with the Diocese of Motherwell) and the inclusion of community facilities where appropriate – are:

Allanton Primary, Shotts

Castlehill Primary, Wishaw

Coltness Primary, Wishaw

Gartcosh Primary, Gartcosh

Lammermoor Primary, Wishaw

Netherton Primary, Wishaw

New Monkland Primary, Airdrie

Old Monkland Primary, Coatbridge

Overtown Primary, Wishaw

St Barbara's Primary, Muirhead

St Matthew's Primary, Wishaw

St Monica's Primary, Coatbridge

St Thomas' Primary, Wishaw

Stane Primary, Shotts

Thornlie Primary, Wishaw.

Early years provision within Calderhead Nursery and St Patrick's Primary nursery class in Shotts will also be reviewed.

Councillor Jim Logue, Convener of the Learning & Leisure Services Committee, said:

"Schools and Centres 21 is an ambitious programme that will build on the terrific success we are already seeing through our Education 2010 PPP school-building programme, which will have delivered 24 fantastic new schools and facilities to communities across North Lanarkshire by the end of 2008.

"We are committed to improving the quality of education and community facilities throughout North Lanarkshire and the additional priority projects approved today, along with the four projects that were agreed in November last year, will go a long way to delivering on that commitment.

Murdo Maciver, Head of Educational Resources, added: "Today's committee approval is only the start of the process for these additional priority projects. This isn't about approving what changes will be implemented – what it does is give the green light for the development of detailed options and costings, which will then be subject to full and thorough consultation within the local communities, particularly in relation to the options for the primary schools. And there will also be further reports to committee before any final decisions are made."

Councillor Logue concluded: "This is about creating community assets at the heart of our communities for our communities and, through Schools and Centres 21, we will do just that."