TWO major multi-million pound primary school refurbishment projects in Greenock are finally back on track, the Tele can reveal.

Inverclyde Council chiefs say the £4.5 million redevelopment of Ardgowan Primary and the new £7m St Patrick’s are now ‘progressing well’ after a series of delays.

Pupils and staff from Ardgowan will finally move into their new-look west end building on Thursday 20 August — more than two years after they moved out.

They have been decanted to the former Sacred Heart Primary in Westmorland Road while their Newton Street building was renovated.

With the Larkfield school now vacant, it paves the way for staff and students from St Patrick’s to move in there temporarily while their existing Broomhill Street home is demolished to make way for a new-build facility as part of a £7m project.

The extensive Ardgowan redevelopment has been marred with delays, most recently when a retaining wall in the playground collapsed.

The school should have re-opened on 21 May but the setback meant the move-in date was pushed back until after the summer holidays.

But the end now appears to be in sight for long-suffering pupils, teachers and parents.

A council statement said: “The work on the wall is continuing apace and progressing well.

“All of the school resources, boxes, desks, chairs and material have been delivered to each classroom and are ready to be unpacked by staff.

“This will happen after the wall is completed and the school handed back.

“Staff and teachers will be in from 13 August and everything is on target for the pupils to return to school on Thursday 20 August.” Local authority chiefs have confirmed that work should start on site at St Patrick’s within a few weeks, with a scheduled completion date of October next year. A council statement said: “All resources and furniture for St Patrick’s Primary School are now in place at the Westmorland Road building ready for the staff to attend on the 13 August as planned.

“The school will be ready for pupils to return to school on Thursday 20 August.

“The contractor will take possession of the old building at Broomhill Street in early August and we are working to a completion date of October 2016.” Ardgowan Primary has been extended and upgraded throughout to modernise the Victorian building.

Funding from the Scottish Government and investment from Inverclyde Council will allow for the run-down St Patrick’s property to be torn down, making way for a new, purpose-built facility on the same site.