School in 1999. It replaced not only Harthill Primary but also neighbouring Benhar Primary, Eastfield. Both schools had been categorized as unfit for purpose. Built by the North Lanarkshire Council as their first new school, Alexander Peden Primary was to become the council's 'baby'. Estimated to have cost over £4 million it became the flagship for many new schools that have been built by North Lanarkshire since then. The new school boasted modern features such as extendible dining room and gym hall with stage, state of the art media room, two open-plan classrooms, high tech security entry, alarms and CCTV systems linked into local police and fire stations. The school has a capacity for 300 primary children and 60 nursery children, the nursery is within the school with its own adjacent fenced off play area within the main playground. The opening of the school was initially planned for August 1997 and included plans for a footpath running directly from the school grounds across the field to the west and joining onto the footpath which goes from Edinburgh Road up the site of the old bing towards Covenanter Road in Eastfield. The land needed for this footpath hadn't been included in the initial sale of farmland and the council entered negotiations with the farmer, these were unsuccessful but had delayed the planning permission process by two years. When building work was almost complete, the School Boards of Harthill Primary and Benhar Primary, wasted no time including the entire local communities in the decision making regarding the new school's name. Many suggestions were put forward and the School Boards put a short list of names to the public vote. Alexander Peden was the overwhelming winner with every single household in both Harthill and Eastfield using their vote, naming the school after the noted Covenanter, Alexander Peden. The school lies in close proximity to the Peden Stone which would have been used by Alexander and other preachers as a plinth. Parents of all the children expected to attend the new school were also consulted about the new school uniform and purple and grey were voted to be the new colours. The council kindly asked their graphics department to design the new logo free of charge, the new design represents the flow of water from the adjacent river Almond. Both Harthill and Benhar School Boards agreed that they would purchase one school sweater for