Education bosses have recommended the new Forres Academy be built near the current site – despite a public consultation favouring another location.
The debate about where the replacement schools will be built has provoked intense discussions in the town.
Nearly 1,200 people had their say on whether they preferred a Roysvale park site in the town or Lochyhill, on the eastern outskirts near the A96 Elgin road.
Now it can be revealed 54.7% of those who took part backed building the new school at Lochyhill.
However, councillors have been recommended to back the cheaper Roysvale site as the preferred location when they meet next week.
How has the preferred Forres Academy site been chosen?
Moray Council has undertaken an extensive process to identify sites for the new Forres Academy.
What started off as eight potential locations was narrowed down to just two before a public consultation.
A report explains both sites have “a number of issues and risks”, including getting legal permission to use common good land at Roysvale and securing a deal to buy private land at Lochyhill.
Despite the results of the public vote backing Lochyhill, education bosses have outlined why they have recommended Roysvale as the preferred location.
It includes Roysvale being more “cost-effective” at a time council budgets are stretched.
Other factors highlighted by officials include:
- The Roysvale site would be £3.3 million cheaper for Moray Council due to it not requiring private land to be bought.
- The central location of Roysvale meets strategic planning priorities for a community school.
- Roysvale has “more flexibility for future growth” with Lochyhill also identified for a future primary school.
- Offers benefits of a 5-18 campus due to it being next to Applegrove Primary.
- Potential to improve drainage on Roysvale park to improve use of remaining playing fields for community.
What would the new Forres Academy look like?
Final designs of the new school will only be drawn up once the preferred site has been chosen.
However, Moray Council has released indicative layouts for both of the locations.
What happens now?
The recommendation of education officers about their preferred site for the new Forres Academy is not a final decision.
Moray Council’s education, children and leisure services committee will meet on Tuesday to debate the findings of the report.
Councillors will then debate whether they prefer the Roysvale or Lochyhill before voting if opinions are split.
Their recommendation will then be debated again by the full council on May 22.
A further consultation will then begin if Lochyhill is chosen due to it being outside the current Forres Academy school boundary.
The Roysvale site is also dependent on further consultations due to the use of common good land and the development of permanent bus drop off areas.
The new school is currently expected to be open for pupils in December 2027.
Read more about Forres Academy
- Flooding, price and transport: The big questions about the new Forres Academy answered
- The £605,000 bill to tackle Forres Academy RAAC concrete problem
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