New lease of life for old Cumbernauld Primary School

The former Cumbernauld Primary School has lain unused for 10 years, when the school moved to the campus it shares with St Andrew’s Primary.

Two community groups –Cumbernauld House Trust and CVAC – have joined forces to develop plans to turn the derelict school into a community and heritage hub Village inhabitants can be proud of.

The current plans feature a event space and visitor centre, complete with a museum celebrating the history of Cumbernauld before and after the founding of the New Town.

However the volunteers are keen to hear what local people have to say about the future of the school building and have organised a public event on Thursday, June 14 at 7pm in the Village Community Centre for this purpose. The Trust has also secured almost £15,000 in grants from the Big Lottery Fund and Historic Scotland which it will invest in feasiibility studies, ensuring further grants and that the final use of the building will be viable in the long term.

Although the school remains the property of North Lanarkshire Council, the authority has promised to turn it over to the Trust once the development is completed.

Trust chairman Robert McAllen said: “Once finished, this facility will be a real asset to Cumbernauld and, while it will take a lot of hard work and effort to complete, we’re confident we can pull it off with the help of the local community.”

Philip Morgan-Klein, chairman of Cumbernauld Village Action for the Community, said: “It’s been hard for people in the Village to see the school deteriorate over the last 10 years, but CVAC and Cumbernauld House Trust have put together a plan which we hope will turn this building around.

“We are hopeful that we can turn this building from an eyesore into something that Cumbernauld Village, and Cumbernauld as a whole, can be proud of”.

For more information, or to make a monetary donation towards the redevelopment project, visit www.cumbernauldhousetrust.org.uk.