Plans have been lodged for the first new Scottish secondary school in more than 20 years.
Details of the £32.5 million Bertha Park project have been submitted to planners at Perth and Kinross Council, The Courier can reveal.
The long-awaited school will be part of a £1 billion city expansion being built by Springfield Properties to the north of Perth.
It will have a capacity of 1,100, with the first roll of around 100 pupils scheduled to move in August 2019.
The tally will rise by about 120 each year, meaning that full capacity will not be reached for at least nine years after opening.
The school is described as “unique” in the current Scottish Government schools programme in that it is not a direct replacement for an existing school, rather it is an entirely new building to serve Perth’s ever growing population.
It is understood to be the first brand new school in Scotland since the 1990s.
The designs include an additional support needs unit and two all-weather floodlit pitches, as well as a multi-use games area.
A biomass energy plant, which turns natural gas into electricity, will be built in the school grounds to help provide power.
Feedback from a public consultation held in December has been used to shape the latest planning application.
Perth and Kinross Council said the comments made during the drop-in session were “generally positive in tone” but there was was some concern about the positioning of the building on site and a call to make the energy plant less prominent.
One attendee said the design was “brutalistic on first impression”.
Councillor Bob Band, who is convener of the local authority’s lifelong learning committee, said: “I am pleased that this major project is moving forward and that we are one step closer to having this new, very welcome addition to the school estate in Perth and Kinross.
“Over the last five years we have had three new replacement primary schools across the area; and three further primary schools will open this year and next.”
He said “Our aim of providing high quality learning environments to enhance the learning experiences for our pupils continues to be realised.”
Bertha Park, which was awarded £23 million of Scottish Government money, is part of a wider £145 million shake-up of schools across the region.
During a recent visit to new builds at Tulloch and Kinross, Depute First Minister John Swinney said: “I have seen first hand the transformational effect of new school buildings.
“Modern, state of the art facilities can inspire students, staff and parents and make a positive difference to learning outcomes.”
The public now has until February 24 to comment on the proposals before they are brought before councillors for a final planning decision.
