The first images of Moray’s next secondary school have been revealed.
Pupils are expected to be attending classes at the replacement for Lossiemouth High School before the summer holidays in 2020.
Now final plans for the complex have been submitted by the council – including proposals for the controversial swimming pool.
Fears have repeatedly been raised that the pool may be removed from the plans in an attempt to keep the project on-budget.
But last night, community representatives said they were hopeful it was now too late to pull the plug since the plans have been drawn up.
However, council officials have warned the decision to keep the facility may have to be revisited in February if the project remains over-budget.
Mike Mulholland, chairman of Lossiemouth Community Council, said: “We’ve gone past the point of no return now with it. They’ve got to follow through with it.
“I don’t see how they could even contemplate getting rid of it now they’ve done the plans. It would cause a massive upheaval.
“They’ve already had at least one vote to keep it. There’s lots of reasons, not least from a moral standpoint and just for practicality, not to change it now.”
There is currently a £36million budget approved for the school project. However, projects for construction currently vary between that and up to £40million.
Sandy ground on the proposed site, which is south of the current school buildings, has been blamed for the possible overspend.
Images published by the council show a spacious atrium in the new complex, which joins into the shared assembly hall and performance area.
Staircases will take pupils and staff to the bulk of the teaching space on the upper two floors.
A separate entrance for the sports block has been included to provide access to the swimming pool, library and games hall.
The current school buildings will be demolished to make way for an artificial football pitch.
Small pockets of trees and shrubs have been proposed for the surroundings to create an “intimate” environment.
Colourful and fragrant plants will be especially selected for a sensory garden to attract native wildlife.
Moray Council’s convener James Allan, who represents Heldon and Laich, said “excitement is building” in the town about the project.
He said: “It looks really good. They looked at what’s been done at the new Elgin High School to see how they could improve the initial plans for Lossie. I know they’ve made changes to corridors to make best use of the floor space.
“The project cost goes up and down every day. We’ve committed to including the pool so that’s what we’re going to do.
“At this stage it will cost us a lot of money to change the plans. The Scottish Government has given us money to include the pool, so we would lose that too.
“If we get rid of it now then we would be no better off.”
The capacity for the school will be 800 pupils – 100 more than the current complex to keep up with the expansion of RAF Lossiemouth.
A report from designers JM Architects said a simple approach to materials will be taken to create a “strong character” for the building.
It states: “As a civic building, the chosen materials should project a sense of individuality, the building should stand proud from its surroundings and act as a focal point.
“The school should also reflect the aspirations, both educationally and socially, of its staff and pupils along with the community in its appearance and in the visual settlement it makes.”
