A LONG-AWAITED report on the future of the Inverkeithing High School site has been delayed again so Fife Council officers can obtain more information about possible options.

Discussions had been due to take place this week at the cabinet committee however this will now not happen as the draft study which had been produced did not consider the full range of available disposals.

Last month, the council had come under criticism by Inverkeithing and Dalgety Bay councillor David Barratt because the item was not included on the agenda for January's meeting - and now it won't be on February's either.

"Cllr Ross called me earlier in the week, basically to say that he was pulling the report because the recommendations of options set out was inadequate and didn't cover what was being requested," explained Cllr Barratt.

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"They are asking officers to go back and work on it before they bring it back.

"We first requested this report back in 2019/20. The reality is officers are not that enthusiastic about the future of the site.

"They have put something together that doesn't meet what was being asked for at all. There are no objections to Cllr Ross pulling it if this was the case."

Cllr Barratt said there were worries in the town that, with the new school due to open in Rosyth in August 2026, time is running out for plans to be put in place for the site.

"Now the running assumption within the community is the school will become abandoned – it will become derelict and with no plan in place for the future of the site, it will go the way of many derelict buildings. It will be set on fire and left derelict. That is not what the community wants.

"Apart from anything else, there has been no engagement. No (council) officers have phoned me about what we want to see for the future of that site.

"They have been tasked with preparing a report to set out the options and they have not engaged with us.

"The last thing I want is for them to turn round and say they are going to build more facilities elsewhere, like at Pitreavie, and the new school in Rosyth and Inverkeithing will be abandoned."

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Council leader, Cllr David Ross, said he was keen that the report is not rushed.

"The draft report did not consider the full range of options and did not fully meet the terms of the original request from the committee," he said.

"That being the case and following discussion with officers, I asked for the report to be deferred from this agenda. It is important to get this right rather than to rush through something that is incomplete.

"I spoke to Cllr Barratt to explain the position and my decision. I believe he understood the reasoning for this and he didn't raise these further concerns with me.

"The issues of community use and swimming provision in West Fife are complex.

"Significant investment is likely to be needed regardless of whatever option goes forward so decisions on this are not going to be taken lightly and will have to be considered in the context of the council's capital plan, which we will begin to review later this year.

"The focus on community use and swimming provision arose out of the extensive consultation on the location of the new secondary school to replace Inverkeithing High School. At this stage there is nothing further to consult on."