Football players at Monifieth’s showpiece secondary will be told to keep the noise down when the new £56 million school is built.
The ambitious project took a major step forward on Tuesday when Angus planning committee councillors approved the 1,200-pupil replacement for the current Monifieth High.
It’s hoped pupils will be in the new learning campus before the end of 2025.
Floodlit sports pitches there will be available for community use.
But planners have imposed a special condition limiting the noise level to 50 decibels.
It means footballers will have to keep their voices down to the level of a quiet conversation – or face a possible red card.
State-of-the-art building
Last year, Angus Council revealed the stunning designs for the three-storey community campus to be built on the current high school’s playing fields.
The high school campus will feature:
- Central atrium with feature social stair from the ground floor to top floor
- Additional support needs garden and learning space
- Early learning and childcare facility with play area
- Community green
- Changing Places toilet on each floor
- Three sports pitches
- Swimming pool
- Enhanced community access
Classrooms will be around the outside of the low-energy building.
Work is due to begin later this summer.
The project – which the council decided to press ahead with despite soaring costs – is being delivered by a design team including main contractor Robertson Construction Tayside and architects NORR.
Pupils are scheduled to decant to the new school in July 2025.
Demolition of the old high school and the formation of the sports pitches will then begin.
The whole project is earmarked for completion by July 2026.
Noise control condition
The school building will be further away from nearby houses than at present, but the sports pitches are closer.
Planning officials said the council’s environmental health team has no concerns about noise linked with pupils’ using the pitches during the school day.
But they added: “Based on the findings of a noise impact assessment, it has some concern regarding wider community use, particularly adult use of the pitches where noise levels could be higher.”
That has been addressed with a specific planning condition limiting use of the pitches from 9am to 9pm on weekdays and 10am to 5pm at weekends.
The noise level must not exceed 50db – the level of a quiet fridge – at any point a metre from neighbouring homes.
A register of users will be kept and planning officials say noisy groups could be banned from playing there.
Widespread welcome
Development standards councillors said they were delighted to give the plans the green light.
“This will be a massive leap forward for secondary education in Monifieth,” said Councillor Kenny Braes.
Committee convener and Monifieth councillor David Cheape said: “This makes me wish I was 40 or 50 years’ younger to be able to go to a school of this quality.
“The distance of the school is significantly back from, most of the housing.”
He welcomed acoustic barriers which will be placed to absorb noise from the pitches.
“It’s not always easy to place these things, but we have to take cognisance of it,” said Mr Cheape.
Conversation