A RENEWED call to create a state-of-the art sports and leisure centre at the site of the current Inverkeithing High site has been made.

A petition launched several years ago – when news of the school closure was confirmed – has now been re-shared after it was revealed by Fife Council that a refurbishment of the current facilities would cost around £20m.

Over 1,300 people have now signed the petition set up by the What's Happening Community Projects asking for a centre similar to the Michael Woods sports and leisure facility in Glenrothes.

They want any sports facility to include a gym, a competition swimming pool, junior pool and a family fun leisure pool as well as a health suite, fitness studios and outdoor pitches.

The petition states: "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.

READ MORE: Fife Council leader David Ross puts Wing refurb at £20m

"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."

A spokesperson for the petition organisers added: "If you look at how much the Michael Woods cost, back in June 2003, it was £19.5m.

"If David Ross is saying £20m, then there's a remit there. That was 2013 so it will have gone up, but you wont get a better opportunity to provide a decent sports centre."

The £20m price tag was revealed by Fife Council leader David Ross last week as the town faces up to the potential loss of the swimming pool and pitches at the school.

Discussing the spiralling cost of the council's capital projects and the financial challenges ahead, he said the decision to build a replacement high school at Rosyth left a question mark over what will happen with the current Inverkeithing High site, and in particular the swimming pool and community-use at The Wing.

He said: "We're already losing the pool at Woodmill so we have a moral duty to try and replace that provision for West Fife but I don't know how we're going to do that as we've been told the cost is around £20m."

The council leader confirmed that was the approximate cost of either refurbishing The Wing or building a new facility. A report on possible options for the site is due to come before the council's cabinet committee in March.