COUNCILLORS will be asked on Tuesday to back a plan to build the replacement Inverkeithing High School in Rosyth.

The education and children's services sub-committee will meet that day and it's down to a straight choice between two sites – the Fleet Grounds in Rosyth or land on the other side of the A921 from the current school at Hillend.

And the report to the committee says it should be Rosyth.

It says: "On balance, based on construction costs, option 5 (Fleet Grounds) offers the best value location for the replacement of the Inverkeithing HS buildings.

"Once all costs are accounted for i.e. the acquisition of land, the construction costs, option 5 delivers the best value option for Fife Council."

The current Inverkeithing High buildings are category C for condition and suitability and the suggestion of building a replacement on the current site was ruled out last year.

A total of 16 sites were whittled down over the years to a final two.

It was previously estimated that the cost of a new high school for 2,000 pupils would be around £70 million.

While the council has set aside more than £117m for the replacement of Inverkeithing, St Columba's and Woodmill, as well as improvements at Queen Anne and Dunfermline high schools, the report said they would still need "significant investment".

It said discussions were already underway with the Scottish Government and Scottish Futures Trust.

The recommendation made by council officers is that the Fleet Grounds should be the preferred location.

If approved, the council will then approach the Ministry of Defence to buy the land needed and a public consultation will be launched.

Designs will be drawn up, planning assessments completed and "potential funding options" will then be explored.

A sports hub has already been established at the Fleet Grounds and the council hope to work with them.

The current school is likely to be knocked down and there are fears the Wing, which is used for sports and fitness, including swimming lessons, as well as creative arts, guitar lessons, youth clubs and adult evening classes, could be lost too.

Earlier this year councillors backed a motion calling for the "highly-prized facility" to be preserved.

At that time, Inverkeithing councillor Alice McGarry felt that the school's move to the Fleet Grounds was a "done deal".

She had added: "It’s really quite depressing. The loss of the school to Inverkeithing would be incalculable."

Rosyth councillors had argued that the high school should "come home".

Cllr Tony Orton previously told the Press: "Rosyth, not Inverkeithing, was the home of the original high school for the Rosyth and Inverkeithing area. “Kings Road School in Rosyth served as the high school for the area for 55 years until 1972 when the growth of Dalgety Bay prompted a new high school to be built in Inverkeithing.

“Now, as Inverkeithing High School is reaching the end of its useful life, it’s time to consider bringing the high school back home to Rosyth."

He said that the council's options appraisals showed the lowest cost option was the Fleet Grounds.