Plans to construct a new secondary school in the east end of Kirkcaldy are to be rubber-stamped by councillors.
Members of Fife Council’s central area planning committee have been advised to give the green light to the proposals to construct a replacement for Viewforth High School on nearby playing fields at Windmill Road.
The decision to approve planning permission for the new building is all but a formality, with construction work potentially beginning within weeks.
Councillor Bryan Poole, the local authority’s spokesperson for education, said that the proposed school would be exciting for the whole area.
“I’m sure the councillors will give the application due process but it’s a very exciting concept,” he said.
“It will very much be a community school, with a council office, community-use pitches and library there as well.
“It’s an area of Kirkcaldy that has had difficulties in recent years but I’m hopeful that by putting the new school here it will have a positive impact on the wider area.”
The initial three-storey structure will be constructed to cater for around 600 pupils but room has been left to expand the capacity to 1,000.
The current Viewforth High has a roll in the region of 400 pupils.
Work to stabilise the ground has been ongoing in recent months after the area was designated as being at “high risk” of subsidence problems, a legacy of the coal mining in the locality.
Once construction is under way Mr Poole believes that the emphasis will be fully on the future of the area.
“We’ve been gathering data from the new Dunfermline High and Auchmuty High and the results for pupils have been astounding.
“It shows that when we make these investments it does make a big difference. I’m really hopeful that will be the same in the east of Kirkcaldy.”
Committee members have been advised to agree to the building of the proposed school, subject to a number of conditions.
The council has promised to deliver a high-quality school that will not have an adverse impact on local residents.
In a report prepared for councillors ahead of tomorrow’s meeting, James Wright, council planning officer, said: “It is considered that the overall design, form, layout and appearance of the new school complex would be of high quality.
“Due to its location, facing Windmill Road, the school building would be a prominent architectural feature that would make a positive contribution to the architectural environment of the surrounding townscape, without dominating the street scene.”