A “LONG overdue report” on the future provision of sports and swimming facilities in Inverkeithing is expected next week.

Fife Council have already decided to replace the town's “crumbling” high school with a new £85 million building in Rosyth but the question remains – what to do with the existing site after the pupils move out in the summer of 2026? 

There’s strong local support to turn it into a community sports and leisure facility as it already has a pool – the only one in South and West Fife and "one of the busiest" in the Kingdom. 

A report was expected at the January meeting of the cabinet committee but wasn't ready in time.

Dunfermline Press: Well used by the public and for swimming lessons, locals want Inverkeithing High's pool to remain open when the school closes. Well used by the public and for swimming lessons, locals want Inverkeithing High's pool to remain open when the school closes. (Image: Fife Sports and Leisure Trust)

Councillor David Barratt, who has led the campaign to keep and enhance the sports and leisure provision on the site, said: “The new school is due to open in just over two years and it does not feel like adequate planning is being undertaken for the future of the existing site.” 

He added: “While I argued against the move to Rosyth, when the decision was first made at the end of 2019 to move from the existing site I argued the council should have immediately started planning for the site’s future use.

"Over four years on and I won’t be dropping it! We cannot allow the school to close in 2026 without a clear plan for the future of the site.”

READ MORE: Inverkeithing ambition to create a sports hub on school site

Last September, the cabinet committee tasked officers with coming up with a cost and options appraisal for the future community use and swimming facilities in South and West Fife with “specific consideration” given to maintaining or replacing The Wing at the school. 

Councillors also agreed that the loss of the school "would have an impact" on Inverkeithing and noted “the strong community desire" for the council to make a commitment to retain community facilities on the site of the existing school. 

An online campaign on 38degrees.org to repurpose the existing Inverkeithing High School has picked up more than 1,000 signatures since its inception last year.

“With a joint population of nearly 30,000 people in Rosyth, Inverkeithing, Dalgety Bay and North Queensferry, none of these towns has a swimming pool and the people of these towns have been crying out for a swimming pool for years,” the community campaign stated. 

“Why not use the old Inverkeithing High School to bring much-needed facilities to the area.

"Having a new sports centre and leisure complex on the old high school site would help bring footfall and income to Inverkeithing after the new high school moves to Rosyth.” 

The next cabinet committee meeting is on Thursday February 8.