DISCUSSIONS are ongoing about the funding of the £180 million education campus in Dunfermline and the amount of insurance money Fife Council will get after the major fire at Woodmill last August.

An update on the local authority's capital plan was given to councillors last week and said that COVID-19 was likely to impact on project dates and delivery costs as the construction industry gets to grips with new requirements, such as physical distancing.

Building work on the campus at Halbeath, which will include a new Fife College campus for up to 6,000 students and replacement high schools for St Columba's and Woodmill, has yet to start.

The council said recently they hoped the schools would open in 2024 and Eileen Rowand, executive director of finance and corporate services, said: "Work is continuing with Fife College to develop the business case for the campus.

"Discussions around the funding of the council element are progressing with the Scottish Government and the Scottish Futures Trust, and are also progressing with the loss adjuster around the final insurance settlement for Woodmill High School, part of which should be available to contribute to the overall funding of the new campus."

Last year, the Scottish Government gave a commitment of £90m in capital to fund the new Fife College and up to 50 per cent of the overall cost of the schools.

The council has set aside £117.5m for the 'Secondary Schools West Fife' project, which covers investment required for the high schools in the area.

As well as replacements for St Columba's and Woodmill, the council want to replace Inverkeithing and carry out works at Dunfermline and Queen Anne to deal with capacity issues.