Campaign to keep Inverkeithing High's swimming pool steps up

With no decisions about its future, it could be knocked down when a replacement school opens in Rosyth in August 2026 and Fife Council officers will present options for the site early in the New Year.

The pool is well used by the public and Fife Sports and Leisure Trust also deliver lessons to 250 kids each week, which has helped them to become "the biggest provider of swimming lessons in Scotland".

Local councillor David Barratt said: "On use grounds alone, my understanding is it's one of the busiest, if not the busiest, pools in Fife so the argument for maintaining it there is strong."

At the South and West area committee, he said there was an "undersupply of sporting facilities in the area", he pinpointed the lack of pitches, and said it should strengthen the case for investment in a sporting hub at the Inverkeithing High site.

Cllr Barratt, the committee convener, has long campaigned for The Wing, the community-use part of the school that includes the swimming pool, to be maintained and enhanced.

He added: "There is a demand locally for sports facilities and I think that's an ideal site to see some of that."

At the committee, the trust's head of operations, Scott Urquhart, gave an update on performance in the area.

There's uncertainty about the future of the Inverkeithing High site, which will become vacant when a replacement school opens in Rosyth in 2026. (Image: Newsquest)

Asked for his opinion, he replied: "I would agree that keeping any sports facility is an important thing to do.

"Obviously I'm very biased as that's the service I work in so I wouldn't want to see any reduction in sports facilities, whether that's in a community-use setting or FSLT setting."

Mr Urquhart's report said community-use pools play their part in helping to deliver their award-winning 'Learn to Swim' programme.

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However there is a looming challenge.

The trust currently use Woodmill High's pool for lessons but it will be demolished after the new Dunfermline Learning Campus, which won't have a pool, opens in the summer.

Cowdenbeath Leisure Centre is to close for up to 18 months for an £8 million refurb in April and losing Inverkeithing's pool as well would only leave the Carnegie Leisure Centre in Dunfermline - and it already has a long waiting list for lessons.

On the plus side, Mr Urquhart told councillors: "I wanted to highlight a real success for FSLT.

"This year we've earned national recognition for our efforts in raising awareness and expanding our swimming opportunities for children in Fife.

"This saw us being crowned 'Learning Swimming Provider of the Year by Scottish Swimming.

"One of the reasons for this is not just the high quality swimming lessons and programmes we do across Fife but we're now the biggest provider of swimming lessons in Scotland.

"We have more than 8,100 children per week taking part in swimming lessons."

He continued: "It's not just about what's happening in our venues. You'll be aware that in the last 18 months to two years we're now providing swimming lessons in community-use schools.

"On a local level we're delivering 250 lessons to children per week at Inverkeithing High School."