Plans in motion to knock down St Columba's and Woodmill

A bid to see if an Environmental Impact Assessment was necessary to raze both high schools – which are to relocate to the Dunfermline Learning Campus in the summer – has been submitted to Fife Council's planning department.

The screening opinion result will determine if a planning application needs to be accompanied with the environmental assessment.

A letter from agents for the council's education services explained that the schools will become vacant in June.

Woodmill High School (Image: Newsquest)

At Woodmill, portacabins in place since the blaze at the school in 2019 will be removed before the demolition of the remaining buildings which survived the fire.

"The project comprises the complete demolition of the remaining existing school buildings," agents state.

"The remaining buildings are proposed for demolition as they are in a poor state of repair, unsuitable for alternative uses and once vacant has the potential to attract anti-social behaviour.

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"No significant adverse impacts are anticipated as a result of the demolition of the buildings.

"The application for prior notification and prior approval would be accompanied by a demolition method statement which will set out standard mitigatory measures in relation to control of dust, noise, etc associated with demolition.

"In summary, it is considered that the potential environmental impacts of the proposed development are of such a scale that they would not result in significant environment effects such that an EIA would be required."

St Columba's High School (Image: Newsquest)

The demolition will not affect some of the current sports/community use facilities as pitches such as Woodmill's hockey facility will remain in use for a spell after the school's closure.

The pitches will be retained to support the migration of the hockey club and other community users to the Dunfermline Learning Campus.