A new £21.5 million secondary school to be built in the East Neuk has been needed for two decades, according to one local councillor.
Following the announcement of cash from the Scottish Government to replace crumbling Waid Academy, Elizabeth Riches highlighted a report from 18 years ago which said the Anstruther building was inadequate.
The Victorian building given the lowest C rating by Fife Council, denoting its poor condition is unable to accommodate today’s pupil population and 40% of classes are taken in hut accommodation.
As the government cash was confirmed, the council unveiled its ambitious plan for a community hub, in which the school will be adjoined by business units, adult education spaces, a police station, library and local council office.
Mrs Riches said: “This has been sorely needed for a long, long time.
“I have been hanging on to a report from 1996 talking about the need to do something about the building and now here we are.
“Now at last we can begin planning properly. This is good news for the pupils, the staff and for the wider community.
“I’m also looking forward to the chance for the public to see what will be offered and to hear their views.”
The local authority has described the facility planned as a one-stop-shop for educational and community facilities.
Mrs Riches said: “It’s so much more than just a school. We are doing something quite new.
“The East Neuk is a very enterprising part of Fife, partly down to its geography and this will give small businesses the chance to have a go and make a living.”
St Andrews Labour councillor Brian Thomson has also described the investment in Waid Academy as “excellent news”.
He said: “I hope that the project can be progressed quickly to provide children and young people along with the wider community in the East Neuk with the modern school and community facility they deserve.
“I am very pleased to see the Labour administration committing to such a significant investment in the local area, on top of other commitments that have already been made. It has recently delivered a new primary school in Burntisland and is overseeing the construction of a new Levenmouth High School.
“It recognises that education is key to prosperity and it is great to see North East Fife is now seeing the direct benefits from Fife Labour’s strategy of investing directly in schools.”
The Courier told on Saturday how three communities in Courier Country are to swap their crumbling school buildings for state-of-the-art new facilities as they share in £330 million from the Scottish Government.
In addition to Waid Academy in Fife, Kinross Primary School and Tulloch Primary in Perth and Kinross are among schools in 13 local authorities which will be replaced or refurbished, with the cash confirmed by Finance Secretary John Swinney.
They are the latest projects in Scotland’s Schools for the Future programme, which has already allowed 17 new schools to be built, with a further 50 due to open by March 2018.