Long-awaited plans unveiled of new £42 million secondary school for Nairn
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The long-awaited plans for a new £42 million secondary school for Nairn have been unveiled for the first time at presentations in the building it is to replace.
Keri Monaghan of Architects Reiach and Hall said the three-story building which will be located in the middle of the existing school playing field to minimise its impact on neighbouring housing has been designed to “get the best for young people’s wellbeing”.
Designers hopes it will also maximise energy efficiency with minimum external wall space with classes surrounding an open-air garden and courtyard.
But Robert Campbell, estates manager for Highland Council, revealed funding has still yet to be finally approved.
The project has been included in phase two of the Scottish Government’s Learning Estate Investment Programme (LEIP) announced in December 2020.
Asked if he could give any guarantee now the school would go ahead he replied: “We can’t guarantee anything. But it’s in a better position than others in the (council’s) capital programme.”
Two presentations were held at the school last Tuesday evening.
Concept drawings of the building, which will form the basis of the final plan to be submitted to council for approval in November, were on display.
Wraps to come off new Nairn Academy design
Mr Campbell again stressed that the current plan was the only option on the table because the council had to be able to proceed with completion by 2025 in order to secure Scottish Government funding.
Looking at other sites would have involved over a year of consultation and the funding opportunity would have been lost.
Ms Monaghan said the roof of the building was inverted with all rainwater flowing through downpipes into the garden space and courtyard which will be a feature.
He said: “There will be no flat roofs which have been a major problem in the existing school.”
“It’s about getting the best for the young people’s wellbeing. The design is about creating adaptable and contemporary space to make the best opportunity for learning and socialising giving pupils the best opportunity to become resilient citizens.”
Concerns have been raised about the capacity of the new school to cope with future growth in Nairn.
She said future expansion provision of classroom accommodation for both the short and longer term had been factored into the design.
“We are looking for an efficient clear form of navigation through the building unlike the current build.”
The buffer zone between the new school and housing in Loch Avenue and Lochdhu is equivalent to the width of a football pitch.
“It is a lot more compact and efficient for heat and energy than the existing school,” she added.
The recently refurbished synthetic pitch and accommodation will be retained and the existing grassed rugby pitch will be upgraded. A football pitch is on the footprint of the proposed new school and it will be replaced by a new grassed pitch after the demolition of the existing school.
An additional multi-use games area and a sprint running track is incorporated in the plans and a cycle facility. The four court sports hall on the ground floor can double as a drama studio.
No decision has been taken on if the public library would be located at the school – an issue which has caused considerable controversy with strong opposition to it being removed from the town centre.
