The planning application for the new high school in Rosyth to replace Inverkeithing High School has now been submitted.
A plans submitted to Fife Council seek permission for the creation of the new school along with associated sports pitches, landscaping and footpaths.
Floodlighting, vehicle access and associated infrastructure will also be created at the Fleet Grounds site.
A design and access statement has revealed that the £80m school will accommodate a total of 1,735 pupils and 152 staff on the 16,305 square meter site which will also include community use facilities.
READ MORE: Inverkeithing High School replacement due to open in August 2026
It said: "The design will create a strong identity based on local influences to help develop a ‘brand’ for the new school. The new state of the art facilities will offer significant educational, social and economic benefits.
"The new school will replace the existing Inverkeithing High School. As such, there is a need to create a new identity, whilst also appreciating the core values that Fife Council apply to their wider school estate.
"The project must also address sustainability, pushing for lower embodied carbon; high levels of energy efficiency; and being capable of achieving the Net Zero carbon standards that the Scottish Government have set to address climate change.
"Internal spaces within the new school will provide inspiring learning environments for pupils and teachers with a focus on inclusivity. Facilities will include a mixture of traditional and more flexible accommodation to allow for individual and group working activities that could be formal or informal.
"The design proposals create a modern, high quality facility that reflects key aspirations of civic presence, educational excellence and inclusivity. The design has been developed with sustainability at the forefront of the proposals to ensure Fife Council have a building that’s future proofed and ready to meet Scotland’s Net Zero Carbon commitments."
READ MORE: New Inverkeithing High School set to be built in Rosyth
The building is being designed to achieve the 'Passivhaus Classic standard' which is the leading international design standard for low energy, comfortable, high quality buildings.
Designed to a strict set of criteria to ensure maximum comfort with minimum overall energy consumption, the building fabric will detailed in such a way as to minimise heat loss whilst internal heat gains are maximised.
With this approach, the operational energy usage of the building can be driven down to a fraction of what it would be in comparison to a building built using traditional technologies.
The design statement added: "The design has been influenced by some of the recently completed school projects for Fife Council. The ‘teaching wing’ model is well established with classrooms either side of a wide central circulation route that contains elements of breakout / storage / lockers depending on the accommodation type.
"The school is deliberately compact to assist with meeting the client’s brief on spatial efficiencies and energy performance.
"Opportunities for physical activity are embedded in the design. The masterplan seeks to develop an asset for the whole community. It provides access to an active landscape with opportunities for team sports, such as football, rugby, tennis, netball and hockey as well as space for training and games."
Scheduled to be completed, commissioned, and handed over in 2026, the proposals for the new South and West Fife High school have been developed with consideration of future flexibility and the possible need to expand the school in the future to suit a revised school roll.
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