East Ayrshire Council’s cabinet met last week to discuss the £63.5million development following the project being approved by the Scottish Government on August 7.

This will result in the closure and re-location of Cumnock and Auchinleck academies, as well as Greenmill and Barshare primaries, and Hillside School, to the site at Broomfield playing fields.

A schedule was agreed at last week’s meeting which will issue a tender for the project’s main contractor in October next year, with the next significant step being planning approval being sought by February 2017.

Within a month the main contractor will be appointed, followed by work starting in July 2017, with a completion date of July 2019.

Council leader Douglas Reid said the project represented the largest capital investment to be made in East Ayrshire, which was providing opportunities for employment in the area.

Alistair Kidd, senior projects and capital accounting manager at the council, said that it is important that the design promotes a positive image and attracts people to visit, live, and invest in the area.

He added: “The council is committed to maximising community benefits from all its procurement activities, with the aim of building in a range of economic, social, and environmental conditions into the delivery of the project.

“The community benefits could include, but are not restricted to, learning and community-focused requirements, targeted recruitment, and training and supply development of small-medium, and social enterprises.” It was also decided by the cabinet that the council would work with the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS) in deciding on which of the submitted designs for the campus will be used.

Mr Reid said: “RIAS have unparalleled expertise in similar projects and this will allow us to scrutinise bids against our procurement framework, maximising the value of every single penny spent on it — from design and development, to the building and equipment in it.” RIAS president, Willie Watt, added: “We’re delighted to be working with East Ayrshire Council on this hugely important project.

“The emphasis is on quality to ensure long term best value for local communities, improve the lives of local people and help the council deliver excellent education for many years to come.” Cabinet members also agreed that the criteria in making the selection would be based 30 per cent on the cost factor, and 70 per cent on the quality of the designs.

Knockroon is a working title for the development at this stage, with discussions taking place later to decide on a name for the new school.