Forres Academy - New School Build

Pedestrian and cycle access is a key consideration, with routes designed to provide safe, direct connections from Orchard Road for public entrance and Sanquhar Road for pupil entrance, while also ensuring existing access from Albert Street and Roysvale Place is retained. The new path through Roysvale Park is provided to accommodate increased use, offering a safe off-road route. A separate cycle route is proposed to the east of the site.

During construction, the core path which runs east-west from Roysvale Place to Sanquhar Road and the existing path which runs parallel to Forres Tennis Club from Albert Street to Roysvale Place will remain open. The proposed path which will run past the pavilion in Roysvale Park will be constructed early in the project to provide compliant access during construction.

Safeguarding young people and ensuring the security of school staff are key objectives of the new school's design and will not be compromised. This includes planning for both safe evacuation and robust lockdown scenarios, while facilitating managed and supervised public access to shared areas during and outside the school day.

Council policy, in terms of free transport, will apply regardless of the chosen option for the future Forres Academy.

The statutory walking distance requirement is three miles for all pupils aged over 8. The two-mile rule is however currently the standard for all Moray pupils with the exception of the two Elgin secondary schools where the statutory three miles apply. This was implemented through a committee report several years ago to account for the expanding boundaries of Elgin.

If a pupil has more than two miles to walk to reach Forres Academy, they will be granted transport under the current policy. A pupil can be expected to walk up to two miles to access transport.

Upgrades to active travel routes within the local vicinity of the project are taking place including a reconfigured pedestrian crossing on Sanquhar Road and a new crossing on Burdsyard Road. The main pupil entrance is located to the south of the building to ensure this is as far away from any roads and vehicles as possible. Additional parking restrictions will be applied to Orchard Road to open up the front of the school and encourage clear lines of sight for any users to access the main entrance.

Wider active travel routes within the town already exist given the facility is a replacement on the site of the existing school.

The final design planning application process will consider the Moray Council Active Travel Strategy 2022-2027. We will continue to have dialogue with our Roads and Transportation colleagues on any future safe travel routes to the new school and the design will meet any future planning obligations with respect to this – managed within the project risk contingency budget. Roads and Transportation are stakeholders on the Project Board and have taken an action to provide detail on the safe active travel routes for primary schools in Forres. The below image provides a snapshot of the active travel routes in Forres: 

Travel to school data in Moray is mainly monitored through the Living Streets Travel Tracker programme, as well as the Hands Up Scotland Survey (HUSS) done once a year by the Scottish Government. The recent HUSS for Forres Academy demonstrate that the number of pupils opting for Active Travel options is significant – the majority pupils who current walk and cycle is not expected to change.

With reference to the concern raised at the Pre Application Notice consultation public session on the safety of primary school-aged children travelling to Applegrove Primary School crossing the A940 Grantown Road at the Orchard Road and Mannachie Road junctions, it should be noted that the Applegrove Primary School catchment does not extend to the west of the A940 – that residential area falls within the Pilmuir Primary School catchment. 

 

Biodiversity has been a key consideration in the development of the proposed site design. Both a landscape architect (Ryder) and a qualified ecologist (Arthian) have been appointed to the project team to ensure biodiversity is enhanced in line with local priorities and ecological best practice. 

A Preliminary Ecological Appraisal Report has been prepared and will be submitted as part of the formal Planning Application - the findings of this report have helped inform the design process and necessary mitigations have been incorporated into the design. Biodiversity enhancement will be increased across the site by virtue of the site landscaping; a biodiversity net gain assessment, comparing the site at present with a post development design is currently being undertaken and again will be submitted as part of the formal Planning Application. Where trees are removed, these will be replaced at a 2:1 ratio.

A dedicated biodiversity enhancement area has been proposed to the rear of the site, adjacent to the burn and 3G pitch. This space will feature native tree planting and wildflower meadows, selected to suit the wetland environment and to strengthen natural remediation and resilience should water levels rise. While this is a smaller focused zone, biodiversity improvements will take place across the entire site. 

The aim of the landscape plan is to enhance the natural environment within the site and to add value to the surrounding areas, with the key deliverables:

• Retain existing green space and landscaping such as trees and shrubs
• Increase the sites biodiversity by 10% in line with NPF4
• Provide safe and accessible routes with the site that connect to the existing network of footpaths and cycle routes
• Provide areas of open space and planting throughout the site that will reduce the impact upon views and strengthen the existing character of the site
• Clearly defined entrance points to the building, both public and pupil
• Provide clearly defined separate secure spaces for use by the ASN and secondary school
• Provide safe accessible pedestrian access routes separate from vehicle access
• Encourage active travel such as cycling by providing a clearly defined network of pedestrian and cycle routes to the site that connect to the surrounding residential areas
• Use the proposed building to provide external dining terraces and performance spaces
• Create a mixture of external spaces for socialising, play and teaching
• Provide sport facilities that are accessible to both the school and the wider community

 

A comprehensive bird control management plan will be developed for both the construction phase and ongoing operational use. Moray Council will take gull management into account, adhering to NatureScot guidance throughout the planning, implementation during construction, and continuation of measures during school operations.  

The law protects all wild birds, including gulls and their nests and eggs (Birds and the law). Whilst many actions can be undertaken to help prevent or minimise problems caused by gulls without contravening the law, sometimes it may be necessary e.g., by removing nests or eggs where problems are evident or expected. In these instances, NatureScot would likely be approached for a licence for such activities as a last resort in order to preserve public health or safety.

The project team have met with Moray Council's Facilities Management Team who are very aware of the existing issues with the seagull population in Forres and at Forres Academy. In order to address this, and on advice from a specialist pest control contractor, we are proposing a number of bird deterrent measures on the project including: bird deterrent sounders (with frequencies outwith that of human hearing) located on both the building and at the all-weather pitch, netting over the rooftop plant area, barrier edging system to PVs and all insulated plant equipment to receive metal encasement finish. The main contractor will also utilise bird deterrent systems during construction to prevent initiation of any habitual behaviour.

 

There is no evidence to suggest that school building projects have a negative impact on pupil learning or attainment. For example, Applegrove Primary School underwent significant refurbishment between July 2015 and June 2017 while pupils remained in the building. There was no impact on pupil attainment during this period. 

It is common practice for new schools to be built on or near existing school grounds, and our Tier 1 contractor has successfully managed this approach across Scotland, including recent projects at Elgin High School and Lossiemouth High School. These projects were completed while schools remained operational, with careful planning in place to ensure a safe and supportive learning environment throughout.

The wellbeing requirements for Enhanced ASN pupils were considered and managed during the previous Applegrove PS project, and this will be the case with the new Forres Academy new build.

The design has to be legally compliant with the following legislation and avoid discrimination in access to facilities and services.

1. Equality Act 2010
2. Education (Disability Strategies and Pupils’ Educational Records) (Scotland) Act 2002
3. Building Standards (Scotland) Regulations - Section 4: Accessibility 

The design considers:

Access and Circulation

• Step-free access to all entrances and exits
• Wide corridors and doorways for wheelchair users
• Accessible lifts to all floors
• Clear, contrasting signage and tactile surfaces

Facilities

• Accessible toilets on every floor
• Changing Places facilities where appropriate
• Hearing enhancement systems (e.g., induction loops) in key areas like assembly halls. 

Inclusive Learning Environments

• Flexible classroom layouts to accommodate different needs.
• Acoustic treatments to support pupils with hearing impairments or sensory sensitivities.
• Lighting controls to reduce glare and support visual impairments. 

Outdoor Spaces

• Accessible routes to playgrounds, sports areas, and gardens.
• Seating and shelter designed with inclusive access in mind.

The design seeks to optimise teaching and non-teaching spaces to support the current curriculum and extra-curricular activities. This will also support a more flexible use of space that will see some teachers using a suite of spaces rather than ‘owning’ a classroom.

The external landscape has been carefully designed to work with the existing landscape and maximise external learning and social opportunities. Existing trees have been retained wherever possible, and SuDS features such as a rain gardens and permeable paving to car parks are integrated to help slow and naturally filter rainwater. New habitat areas will be created around the south of the site adjacent to the burn, and insect hotels provided within the Ecology Garden to help promote nature. A range of social, active, and passive spaces are provided around the school to suit different preferences and help create an enhanced setting for outdoor learning and wellbeing.

There is an Enhanced Provision garden included in the design, and this has been developed in close consultation with relevant staff to ensure the provision meets the requirements of the pupils.

Both Roysvale Park and the new Forres Academy 3G pitch will be available for use by Applegrove (and other primary schools within the Associate School Group). Roysvale Park will not be fenced off.

There are a number of 5-18 campus schools already operational in Scotland and further schools are planned. In the case of the Applegrove/Roysvale site, it provides an opportunity to create a 5-18 community campus school by incorporating the existing Applegrove into the design consideration.

The benefit of 5-18 campuses is well evidenced in Scotland and elsewhere. Specific areas of benefit include:

Learning 

• Having staff who know the young people well throughout their time at school and with the ability to manage progression/transitions as they move through their learning journey;
• Enabling younger pupils to access specialist subject facilities and specialist teaching that would not otherwise be available to them in a traditional Primary school; and
• Providing opportunities for cross age collaborative working and mentoring amongst pupils.

Staffing

• Allowing staff to work across the whole age range, collaborate and share specialist skills. This creates opportunities for innovative approaches to teaching and learning;
• Greater opportunities for staff in terms of professional development and career progression which can support recruitment and retention; and
• Opportunities to bring together staff with specialist skills and knowledge, for example in ASN, to share expertise and support young people throughout their education.

Families

• Allowing parents to form a long-term relationship with one school through their child’s education;
• Ensuring families are known by the school and are getting the help and support they need, whatever age their children; and
• Supporting parents through opportunities for older siblings to take younger children to school or by having a single drop off point for parents at the start of the school day.

Efficiency

It is still important to create age-appropriate spaces and a sense of progression through the school and in the external areas, but there are opportunities to provide real efficiencies:

• in the design and use of space;
• effective management structure which spans 5-18; and
• use of admin support and other non-teaching posts across the campus.

The direct adjacency of Applegrove Primary School in addition to Anderson’s Primary School and Pilmuir Primary School nearby to the new Forres Academy is a strategic decision that aligns with national policy drivers such as Getting It Right For Every Child (GIRFEC), Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) and Scotland’s Learning Estate Strategy which promote collaboration, inclusion and equity across education. This adjacency will provide enhanced learning and teaching opportunities for primary school staff and pupils with:

• Ease of access to specialist facilities such as practical science classrooms, digital suites, technical workshops, performance and art studios and modern sports facilities;
• Opportunities for interdisciplinary learning and shared thematic projects (project-based learning) with secondary departments will enhance depth, progression, and challenge for senior primary pupils, especially in P6 and P7; and 
• Primary school staff benefiting from professional learning partnerships with secondary colleagues, encouraging innovation and consistency in pedagogy and assessment practices across the BGE (Broad General Education) phase. 

It will further support improved transitions and continuity of learning where:

• Physical proximity to a larger local Primary School and nearness to two other local Primary Schools (Anderson’s and Pilmuir) fosters a seamless transition from primary to secondary, reducing anxiety and promoting familiarity with staff, spaces, routines, and expectations; 
• Joint curriculum planning across P7-S1 may be supported for continuity and progression in key curricular areas such as literacy, numeracy, STEM, and expressive arts; and
• Earlier planned engagement with guidance staff and pastoral support systems would enhance pastoral continuity, ensuring that children are known well and supported effectively before and after transition. 

It will also provide broader opportunities for inclusion and personal development:

• Access to wider extra-curricular activities and accommodation, which may include sports teams, music ensembles, clubs, and leadership programmes, will support the personal and social development of primary pupils;
• Children with Additional Support Needs (ASN) would benefit from early access to enhanced support services and inclusion strategies developed at secondary level, ensuring consistency and strengthened transition planning; and
• Senior secondary pupils can be available to serve as mentors, role models, or reading buddies, fostering a culture of leadership, inclusion, and cross-age collaboration as well as potential to achieve additional qualifications or awards. 

The ‘shared’ campus model that the adjacency allows to develop will support efficient use of shared resources and promote a community identity by:

• Promoting a coherent educational campus identity, supporting equity of access and community cohesion across all age groups;
• Enhancing the efficient and sustainable use of public resources, including staff expertise, facilities, catering, and transport logistics; and
• Acting as a community hub, bringing together children, families, and wider partners in learning, wellbeing, and support.

Learning Together: Opening up Learning (2009)

Learning Together: Opening up Learning (2010)

 

The proposed sports hall is designed to be compliant with Sports Scotland guidance and will have a sprung timber floor with additional specifications to be detailed in the planning application.

This project is not dealing with ELC provision; however, it can be confirmed that there is existing capacity within the Forres ASG.

Existing annual school roll forecasting for the Forres Associated School Group (ASG) and wider Moray area takes account of future capacity requirements over the next 8 years – birth rate and residential development, which are the key contributors, have been considered in terms of the design requirement for the future school, with the proposed capacity of the new school being 1120. The most recent school roll forecasting figures can be found here. A further look ahead to 2035 – which takes account of significant residential development to the east of the town (Lochyhill) – has also been undertaken using historical building output rates.

The capacity of all schools is available on the council website here. If a new primary school was provided, the catchment areas would require to be reviewed.

All Common Good property falls into one of two categories – alienable or inalienable. Alienable property can be sold, leased or otherwise disposed of in a permanent or semi-permanent way that reduces public use. Inalienable property cannot without a court order.

Inalienable property includes town halls, market squares, parks or greens, and churches – although the status of each asset needs to be individually determined, it cannot be assumed. All other Common Good property would be alienable.

Inalienable Common Good - in order to appropriate the land, the Council would require to obtain the consent of the Sheriff Court in terms of Section 75(2) Local Government (Scotland) Act. In addition, Section 104 of the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015, which came into force on 27 June 2018, requires that before taking any decision to appropriate a Common Good asset, the Council must publish details about the proposed disposal.

Consultation on any changes to Common Good land as a consequence of the New Forres Academy project will be undertaken in accordance with Part 8 of the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015. Details of this can be found at the Scottish Government website.

Consultation in relation to the use of the Common Good land at Roysvale Park commenced on 18th September 2024 and ran until 12th November 2024 with a public drop in session held at Forres Academy on 21 October 2024 between 4pm-7pm. Full consultation information can be found here.

The current project takes account of associated costs and a 6-month timescale to undertake the Roysvale Common Good consultation and acknowledges there is a risk that if there are challenges to the planned use of common good land the project may be delayed a further 12 months.

The time risks associated with site options are detailed in the 22 May 24 report to Council.

 

A Special Moray Council meeting was held on 21 January 2025 to present a report on the Common Good Consultation.  The Council decided to go ahead with the court application to temporarily use the Common Good land for site setup, a contractor’s compound, and parking for construction traffic during the build and will also ask for approval for the permanent development of the land as a bus drop-off area for the school.  

A statutory advertisement will be placed in the local press to inform the local public that the court process has commenced once a date has been confirmed.

Construction would be bound by planning conditions and health & safety legislation. Due to the size of the project, it would have to be formally ‘notified’ to the Health and Safety Executive. A full health and safety plan will be implemented, including the management of noise as stipulated by the Health and Safety Executive. As part of construction planning there would be a stipulation of working hours, acceptable noise levels during construction, etc.

The current design has identified that localised ground improvement techniques, rather than piling, will be required and will only be local to the footprint of the pad foundations to offer an enhanced bearing pressure. All aspects would be addressed during detailed design stage and through the planning application and mitigations implemented during construction.

During planning there is a requirement to provide a construction traffic management plan which covers key issues on site:

• Keeping pedestrians and vehicles apart
• Minimising vehicle movements
• People on site
• Turning vehicles
• Visibility
• Signs and instructions

Planning conditions would state what hours of work would be permitted which would take into account noise. A construction impact assessment would also be required.

Balfour Beatty have mandated Considerate Contractor scheme compliance for all sites and will have regular meetings with both school management teams. There will be a robust construction and traffic management plan in place, and this will be included as a supporting document with the planning application: these will include restricted and allocated delivery and access / egress times to the site.

There was little to no impact on either the recent Lossiemouth High School or Elgin High School new builds – both within the grounds of an existing school. This was achieved through good communication between the main contractor and school on all aspects of construction. Any noisy works that would impact school were undertaken outside school hours and, where required, exams were relocated but this was known well in advance. Indeed, the majority of newbuild schools across Scotland typically are constructed on the existing sports facilities (grass pitches) with a demolition of the existing premises following on.

An Integrated Impact Assessment will be undertaken as part of the project to evaluate any potential consequences.

Our civil engineers have undertaken site investigations and any impact on site suitability due to ‘historical’ issues will have been identified. If any further issues materialise during the next stages of design and early construction, these will be addressed by the appointed civil engineers on the design team.

An archaeological survey is typically required when planning a new construction project, and this project is no exception. The site will be surveyed early in the planning process to mitigate the risk of delays if evidence is discovered of archaeological significance.

The planning application process will take account of any local heritage issues related to the site selected. Any planning approval conditions related to these with be addressed during design which will not compromise the delivery of a new, state of the art sustainable school.

All due diligence on risks to surrounding properties would be undertaken. The best practise approach, employed with previous new school projects, is that condition surveys of the surrounding houses may be undertaken prior to construction starting so that if any issues were reported during construction these could be compared with the condition surveys to ascertain if the issue is a result of the construction works.

Noise, dust, vibration, and dilapidation surveys will be carried out in the appropriate surrounding areas of the site, including properties. Although piling works are not proposed for this project, ground improvement works will be undertaken. The specialist subcontractor is currently being consulted, and their advice on the extent of monitoring required in line with BS 5228 will be included in the planning application. Noise, dust, and vibration monitoring stations will be set up prior to the commencement of works and will be used as a baseline comparison for the regular monitoring that will take place during construction.

The detailed design process will determine what the utility requirements are at the selected site, which will include discussions with the respective utility companies.

The design will not use percussion piling.

The new school is planned to be operational in autumn 2028 with construction due to commence spring 2026. Pupils will start attending the new school in autumn 2028.

Initial discussions have been undertaken with community groups to identify interest and options for use of these areas in future, subject to the project progressing.

The only current planned requirement for the current school site is that the swimming and hydro pools will be retained. Depending on the agreed site location for the future school, other areas of the existing school building may be repurposed for use by both the school and community or by just the community. One early consideration is for the area to be redeveloped and repurposed as a ‘sports hub’ and ‘health and wellbeing’ area focused on access to outdoor green space.

There are no plans at present for the playing field areas behind Mannachie and Anderson’s Cresent, although there are options to utilise these within any development of an outdoor sports and health and wellbeing hub on the site of the ‘old’ school.

A Pre Application Notice (PAN) for the new Forres Academy was submitted on 30 May 2025. As part of this process, concept design information was shared with the public during a dedicated consultation period.

The first public engagement session took place on 24 June 2025, and a second session was held on 19 August 2025. All information provided during these sessions was available at Forres Library for the duration of the PAN process and can still be accessed to view on the Moray Council website. The public was encouraged to review the information and provide feedback on the design proposal by 29 August 2025.

The potential decrease in the Gross Internal Floor Area (GIFA) between the current and new Forres Academy is not a concern. The design process has focused on ensuring that the school spaces are optimised and adaptable, supporting changes in pupil numbers and curriculum over the expected operational life of the school building. Rather than a dedicated room per teacher, the new design has classrooms that can be timetabled across several different subjects thereby ensuring efficient and effective utilisation of space and reducing overall cost of the project.

This design approach has been agreed and embraced with our education stakeholders and it would be remiss of council officers not to seek ways of optimising design and reducing project costs.

The new school design approach is focused on optimising design to support shared use with the community – with the adjacencies of potential invited space (e.g., sports and drama) to the shared public spaces (entrance and reception) a priority design objective to facilitate this.

The Learning Estate team cannot comment on the future of the Forres House Community Centre, especially as we are not aware of any consultation on its future decision. However, we can state with confidence that the new Forres Academy, both internally and externally, will be a state-of-the-art community hub that will deliver significant and long-term future benefit to the Forres and wider Moray community.

There was early engagement with other partner services on the concept design for the school however, there are no existing plans to relocate other services such as the police station or social services within the school during the school day.

The current school design includes a servery that could be made available to the community to support booked internal and external activities. However, there are currently no plans to operate this space as a public community café.

The project Quantity Surveyors have compared the substructure costs between both the Roysvale and Lochyhill site options, and based on the known site conditions, Lochyhill site is more expensive as it would require a piled foundation solution whereas Applegrove/ Roysvale will only require localised ground improvement techniques.

The proposed site is outwith the Forres Conservation Area; however, the project team have selected a material palette for the new building which will complement the vernacular, blonde sandstone buildings which exist in the town. There are other education buildings in the area; the proposed site is approximately 350m from the existing secondary school and adjacent to the existing Applegrove Primary School.

The Ashgrove/Roysvale site facilitates the use of the current Academy site for school and community use and is a slightly larger site. The intent for the final design of the school is that it is sympathetic to neighbouring properties, and any design impacts will be the subject of the future planning approval process.

While many residential properties in the area are one or two storeys high, there are also existing three- and five-storey buildings nearby on Cumming Street. The proposed building is primarily three storeys, which is comparable in height to some of the existing trees along the boundary with Forres Tennis Club. The eastern and southern wings of the building are designed to decrease to one and two storeys. Clerestory glazing has been incorporated at roof level to allow natural light into the centre of the plan. This feature, along with the plant enclosure, is set back from the building's perimeter to reduce the visual impact of the building's height.

The western elevation of the proposed building is no higher than many of the existing trees which run along the boundary between the playing fields and Forres Tennis club. The proposed building is also sited approximately 42m from the properties to the north to minimise overlooking. A vertical sky component 25° method assessment was undertaken during the design development process, with no adverse outcome, and this will be included in the planning application.

The design is compliant with the School Premises (General Requirements and Standards) (Scotland) Regulations 1967. The Council is aware the Scottish Government intends to refresh and modernise the School Premises Regulations with consultation due to commence this year. The work previously undertaken on updating the School Premises Regulations following the consultation in 2017/18 was paused due to a number of substantial issues, for example the Covid pandemic.

The Schools Premises Scotland Regs 1967 recommends a site area based on the school size and to have available and in close proximity playing fields sized accordingly. This area requirement is considered on a case-by-case basis and now takes account of all-weather surface pitches and multi-use games area (MUGA) provision.

These details are being developed and once a solution has been agreed the detailed design will be included within any planning application.

The project team have developed the design of the roof in conjunction with Moray Council's Facilities Management Team. There is a project requirement for a minimum 4-degree pitch on all roofs; currently the roofs are designed with a variety of pitches from 4 degrees to 10 degrees. In addition, the rainwater management strategy will utilise external hoppers and anti-climb rainwater pipes on the external face of the building - there will be no internal rainwater pipes. Whilst green or living roof options can be beneficial to biodiversity, they can also cause structural issues, so the preference was to avoid these on the building.

All rainwater downpipes in the proposed school design will be external, which will help prevent water from entering the building and reduce the risk of internal blockages.

Applegrove/Roysvale site:

A Flood Risk Assessment and Drainage Impact Assessment will require to be submitted in support of any planning application for the Applegrove/Roysvale site. 

Existing flooding occurs within the site boundary in the 1 in 200-year event. The source of this flooding is from the Burn of Mosset and Sanquhar Loch to the south of the site, with the predominant area affected being the existing school and smaller areas of flooding within Roysvale park. 

Flooding - The existing sewer infrastructure in this area is a combined sewer system only that collects both foul waste and surface water (rain), including a perforated pipe that drains the playing field adjacent to Applegrove Primary. To alleviate the flooding issues, a new dedicated surface water sewer is being installed to this part of the town. This new sewer will discharge to the Burn of Mosset, north of the Orchard Road vehicular bridge. This will not only handle the drainage for the new Academy but also the adjacent Applegrove Primary, which currently discharges into the combined network causing it to exceed design capacity in heavy rainfall events.

Drainage/Surface Water Discharge - The drainage design for both the new Academy and the existing Applegrove Primary will accommodate a 1:200 year storm with a 42% allowance for climate change, as is best practice, resulting in 692m3 of underground cellular attenuation for both developments. The removal of surface water from the drainage network for the current Applegrove Primary, adjacent field and current academy will result in significant improvements to the local drainage network capacity and will also provide a sewer for tie in of future projects in the area.

Ground Lowering/Groundwater - Additionally, extensive flood modelling has been conducted on the Burn of Mosset, ensuring that the new school will be located outside any flooded zones for future resilience. As part of the development, an area of ground lowering is being provided to the south of the site. This area will fill with water during extreme rainfall, reducing the risk of downstream flooding. The groundwater on the site has been monitored and modelled, and all foundations, attenuation tanks, and other structures have been designed to sit above the groundwater table, except for one small area where local dewatering of pad excavations will be undertaken.

Lochyhill site:

A Flood Risk Assessment and Drainage Impact Assessment would require to be submitted in support of any planning application for this site.

Flooding - Pluvial (rainwater) flooding is observed on SEPA flood maps; however, this is not of concern as drainage design will take this into consideration.

Groundwater - The boreholes show that the water table varies from 3.2 – 4.6 metres below ground level (mbgl). Based on this it is anticipated that ground water may be encountered in deeper excavations.

Surface Water Discharge – A connection for the surface water discharge is yet to be approved by Scottish Water, and the area of hard standing is yet to be set, therefore, the outfall rate cannot be fully determined at this stage. However, based on the assumption the school will have a similar layout to the proposals at Applegrove/Roysvale Park, it is estimated approximately 1400m3 of storage will be required to manage the “1 in 200-year” storm event with climate change. The primary method of attenuation would be provided by below ground attenuation tanks as it is anticipated that options such as SUDS basins and ponds will not be viable for this site due to their large land take. 

A Predevelopment Enquiry was sent to Scottish Water to confirm the capacity of the existing sewer network for the Applegrove/Roysvale site. Scottish Water have confirmed capacity subject to final design, which will be confirmed at the next project stage.

Scottish Water and SEPA will be statutory consultees throughout the planning application process. We would expect them to review the detailed information submitted as part of that process. An initial consultation with Moray Council's Flood Team regarding flood risk on the Applegrove/Roysvale site has agreed the principals of the design and parameters of the detailed flood study which will be further developed at the next stage of the project.

Detailed technical reports by our civil and structural engineers with be developed during the next stage of the design process. In addition, CCTV surveys will be carried out to confirm the drainage records – this will form part of the detailed flood risk assessment. This will also include computer based hydrological modelling. All this technical information will be made available as part of the future statutory planning process.

Relevant survey reports conducted as part of the project work will be included in the planning application process and will be accessible through the Moray Council website. This ensures transparency and allows the public to stay informed about the project's progress and any potential impacts on the environment and local infrastructure.

To service the full site, a new surface water drainage system will be implemented, offering surface water storage and attenuation to restrict discharge from the site in all rainfall events. This surface water will be conveyed through a new surface water sewer that will discharge into the Burn of Mosset. This new sewer will not only service the new development, but discussions are underway with Scottish Water regarding the adoption of this proposed sewer for use by adjacent properties and development in the area. Hence this will reduce the pressures on the combined sewer network and further reduce flood risk.

The core requirement of the design is to improve both surface water run-off and the wider drainage issue on the site – which by design will also benefit the wider community in this area. The final site drainage design solutions will need to comply with legislation on management of surface water and be approved by SEPA and Scottish Water.

Detailed cost information has not been released into the public domain as it is commercially sensitive; however, the cost estimates have included a related risk contingency factor for such items. This information was included in the Education, Children’s & Leisure Services (ECLS) committee paper on 14 May 2024.

Extensive flood modelling has been undertaken on the Burn of Mosset, and the new school will be located outwith any flooded zone to ensure future resilience. As part of the development, and prior to the old school being demolished and replaced with the car park and 3G pitch, an area of ground lowering is being provided to the very south of the site. This will fill with water in the event of extreme rainfall therefore reducing the risk of any flooding downstream. The groundwater on the site has been monitored through wellpoints during the winter of 24/25 and modelled as a surface in the design of the new school. All foundations, attenuation tanks and other structures have been designed to sit above the groundwater table besides one small area of the building where local dewater of pad excavations will be undertaken. The detailed design will be included within any planning application.

The new school building site has been moved from a high-risk flood area to a safer location outside the floodplain. Facilities such as the open car park and 3G pitch, which do not block the floodplain, are placed where the old school building used to be, an area that has flooded in the past. Detailed flood modelling was undertaken to see how the new development would affect flooding in the area. These studies showed that the existing school building acts like a "flood wall" during severe storms, so its removal needed to be carefully considered. To reduce any potential flood risk as a result of the changes of levels and building locations, the ground level will be lowered in some areas to the south of the site.

The image below shows the impact of this ground lowering on flood water levels. Green areas indicate reduced flood water levels, yellow areas show places that used to flood but now don't, and pink and red areas show where flood water depth has increased. This is naturally found in greatest extent to the south of the site which will be lowered. The three isolated pink spots on Castle Street and Burdshaugh Road are small puddles and are located on minor roads where existing road drainage is present.

The new school is being designed to meet LEIP (Learning Estate Investment Programme) energy efficiency targets, which focus on low energy use and sustainable design. The school will use non-fossil fuel heating and power systems, helping to reduce carbon emissions and support long-term environmental goals.

The design is based on the use of air source heat pumps, and the intent is to optimise the use of solar panel installation with the current design including a solar panel (PV) array of approximately 400m², which is expected to generate around 85,000 kWh of renewable electricity each year. This will help to power the school and reduce reliance on the national grid. 

Scottish Government (SG) funding will be available through the Outcomes Based Funding (OBF) model. SG funding will be released as the achievement of agreed outcomes is evidenced.

One of the conditions of the Learning Estate Investment Programme Phase 3 (LEIP 3) funding is to maintain the building to condition A or B for a period of 25 years.

It is anticipated that 85,000kWhr/annum will be generated from approximately 400m2 of PV panels located on the upper roof of the building, contributing to approximately 10% of the operational energy of the building.

The carbon footprint is calculated using a software tool called OneClick LCA tool. The quantity of each type of material used in the project is entered, the appropriate carbon factor selected for it and the estimated miles that the materials will travel to get to site. This is combined with the estimated energy usage during the construction phase to provide a design stage carbon footprint.

The final site drainage design solutions will need to comply with legislation on management of surface water and be approved by SEPA and Scottish Water. Detailed site analysis has been performed to ensure the optimum location for the 3G pitch. While proximity to the burn is one consideration, the noise, light, access and visual impact are other major considerations. To assist with the design of the synthetic pitch, a specialist pitch designer and subcontractor are being appointed early in the design to explore options and manage potential changes in legislation. Alternatives to plastics such as cork have been used for synthetic pitches elsewhere in Scotland and will be investigated as to the design viability and cost.

Scottish Government Learning Estate Investment Programme Phase 3 (LEIP3) funding delivers a maximum 50% revenue-based funding (operational funding) opportunity over 25 years and requires the council to comply with the performance targets set by Scottish Futures Trust. The funding is on a sliding scale dependent on what targets are met. The upfront project capital expenditure will fall to the Council to provide.

Detailed cost information has not been released into the public domain due to commercial sensitivity; however, the cost estimates have included a related risk contingency factor related to both the preferred Applegrove/Roysvale site and the alternative Lochyhill site. This information was included in the Education, Children’s & Leisure Services (ECLS) committee paper on 14 May 2024.

Detailed cost information has not been released into the public domain as is commercially sensitive, however the cost estimates have included a related risk contingency factor for such items. 

The area marked in red on the PAN document is highlighting where the 3G pitch and car park will be placed once the existing school is demolished. The development of the area to the south of the current school is included within the project and an area of ground lowering is being provided to the south of the site. This will fill with water in the event of extreme rainfall therefore reducing the risk of any flooding downstream.

We will always strive to provide outdoor/green space for all our children and young people. Options will be explored to ensure minimum impact on Applegrove pupils. Access to outdoor space will be maintained throughout construction, with plans in place to ensure that pupils continue to have safe, usable areas for play and learning. The project is being designed with careful consideration to ensure Applegrove pupils continue to benefit from high-quality outdoor environments both during and after the build, with all pupils having access to the new 3G pitch. In addition, the project includes improvements to the drainage of Roysvale Park and the surrounding land, which will enhance the quality and year-round usability of green space in the long term, which both Applegrove Primary and the new school will have access to.

Currently the football pitch can be hired/ booked by the public and the park is also used by Forres Academy for PE, and these arrangements will remain in place. We are also aware that the general public access this space for informal recreation purposes, which will also continue as is the current status.

A tree survey and tree protection plan will be included in the planning application. Plans show the existing trees are retained with only minimal removals, which will be replaced at a 2:1 ratio, and planting will be extended in line with the Landscape Plan and guided by the land use reports also included as part of the planning application submission. The all ‘abilities’ pathways on the Sanquhar roadside of Roysvale Park will be re-routed into Roysvale Park.

The survey undertaken of the existing trees can be found here.

Appendix 1 - North Area Arboricultural Assessment

Appendix 2 - South Area Arboricultural Assessment 

There are ongoing discussions with the school to determine how the area could be enhanced as part of the social impact/benefits of the project.

The current landscape plans include creating green spaces and community facilities that will benefit both the schools and the local community. This redevelopment aims to enhance the environment and provide valuable outdoor spaces for various activities and events. The goal is to ensure that the area is used efficiently and effectively, contributing to the overall improvement of the quality of life for pupils and the local community.

Bus access to the proposed site will be facilitated by entering from the west along Burdsyard Road and exiting through Sanquhar road. This route will help manage traffic flow and ensure safe, efficient access for both construction and future use. Parking enforcement arrangements will not change.

The bus drop off has been located to eliminate any road crossing and remove cross over of vehicles and pupils. The new design aims to limit vehicle movements around the school to ensure pupil safety and has been strategically placed to manage traffic flow efficiently and ensure safe access for both the school and the community.

The site proposes accessible and drop-off parking adjacent to the north aspect of the proposed new building. A larger car parking area will be developed on the site of the existing Academy with access pathways to the school site.

The staff car park will be located within a short walking distance of the school building. The car park will be located on the site of the existing Forres Academy and will be accessed off Sanquhar Road.

The school car park is being located on a brownfield site on the footprint of the existing building to utilise this development area and offer up additional area back as green space. The car park will be located on the site of the existing Forres Academy and will be accessed off Sanquhar Road. There is also an area of the existing school car park which will be returned to green community space.

For pupil safety it is good design practice to limit vehicle movements and hence a strategic decision was taken to locate the car park in this area. The car park will also be well placed to service the new 3G pitch which will also be available for community use. As part of the travel survey, the car parks accessed off Orchard Road were surveyed and were shown to have spare capacity during school term, allowing shoppers to utilise these to access the High Street. Teachers will be discouraged from using these locations but rather directed to the dedicated school car park. This short walk through the green space promotes and encourages a healthy lifestyle.

The school will provide 200 secure, covered cycle spaces near the main entrance and pupil entrance, with an additional 30 spaces serving the 3G pitch, encouraging active travel for pupils and staff; this has been developed in consultation with the Moray Council Transport Team. The cycle parking is strategically provided around the school adjacent to the access points for ease of use.

Balfour Beatty will ensure there will be a robust construction and traffic management plan in place, and this will be included as a supporting document with the planning application: these will include restricted and allocated delivery and access/egress times to the site.

During the construction phase, the appointed contractor will manage traffic carefully to reduce disruption. Traffic to and from the site will be planned to avoid peak times, based on findings from a traffic survey. This survey will help identify busy periods and support safe access for the community throughout construction. 

Once the school is open, there is not expected to be an increase in traffic compared to the current Forres Academy during typical start and end times. In fact, the new site design includes a dedicated bus drop-off area, which should help reduce congestion, particularly in the mornings. 

Currently, school buses stop along Burdsyard Road, which contributes to traffic build-up. The new design aims to improve this by moving bus drop-offs off the main road, making access safer and smoother for all road users. 

The Tier 1 contractor will deconflict site traffic movement from the busy times of the day (start and end of the school day).

The existing road network around the current and proposed sites has been surveyed during school term using fixed traffic cameras. While there is a peak in traffic flow at school drop off and pick up as is expected, the data does not show concerning traffic issues immediately adjacent to the site. A new, dedicated coach drop-off layby is being provided to take coaches off the main road network and therefore reduce conflict of road users. Drop off to the new school by car is discouraged and survey data together with hands up travel data from the school notes this to be low. The main pupil entrance to the facility is to the south and as such should any drop-offs happen, these are anticipated to be to the south of the building not on Orchard Road.

Any additional traffic management requirements will be identified through the planning application.

The scope of the transport analysis survey was developed in discussion with Moray Council Environmental & Commercial Services, and the following streets were included: Orchard Road, Sanquhar Road, Albert Street, Burdsyard Road, Roysvale Place, Castle Street.

Originally eight sites were considered for a new build. Three of these were not shortlisted for review as considered too small and/or within flood or flood alleviation impacted areas. Of the remaining five ‘viable’ sites, council officers subsequently discounted two further sites: Grant Park site to the south of Andersons Primary on South Street due to the land being held in trust this was dismissed, the site to the east of Mannachie Road which was discounted due to this already being targeted for development as part of the Moray Growth Deal Housing Mix project.

 

Following several more assessments, a further site at Grantown Road was discounted, due to the close nature of a gas pipeline and it being outside the Forres Town boundary with the surrounding areas not included in the Local Development Plan for development. This leaves Lochyhill and Applegrove/ Roysvale as the two remaining options.

The current school site falls within a significant flood area adjacent to the Mosset Burn – planning requirements now take account of future climate change and increased flooding risks, and this makes the current site not viable for a full rebuild on the site. In addition, redeveloping the current site would require most, if not all the schools, to decant to temporary modular accommodation for up to three years, which in addition to adding significant project costs would have an impact on education delivery.

The decision to identify Applegrove/Roysvale as the preferred site for the new Forres Academy followed a rigorous site assessment process. This process considered educational requirements, accessibility, environmental impact, community benefit, and overall deliverability. Early consideration was given to redevelopment of the current school site, but this was not viable given future increased flood risk given the proximity to the Mosset Burn and the requirement for partial or full decant of the existing school buildings during construction. The Applegrove site emerged as the most viable option when all these factors were weighed together, including cost, timescale, place-based principles, and accessibility for town-based students.

Throughout this process, Council officers and elected members have engaged with the community, and Moray Council continue to listen to all views, including those in opposition to the current proposal. The frustration of those who feel unheard is understood but be assured that the site selection decision was not made lightly, nor with disregard for the people who may feel adversely affected. However, it must also be made clear: the Council has a responsibility to deliver high-quality, fit-for-purpose education infrastructure for the children and young people of Forres and surrounding areas. Forres Academy, as it currently stands, is not meeting that standard, and delaying progress on its replacement comes with consequences for many current and future pupils.

As the Council does not own the Lochyhill site it would require negotiating the acquisition of the land from the current owner. There is a risk that the owner or owners would be unwilling to sell, or that the price sought would not meet affordability criteria.

 

With similar situations in other projects the Council has promoted a compulsory purchase order (CPO) in tandem with landowner negotiations.  As part of the CPO process the Council would need to justify its requirement for that particular site (with reference to alternatives) and for the Lochyhill site, 18 months minimum would need to be allowed for this process which would impact the operational date out to January 2029.

The place-based review shared in November 2023 was an initial assessment of the then 3 site options against the new school project strategic objectives. It was not intended to determine a preferred site option at that time but demonstrate some early site factor considerations that could support the future site selection process.

The proposed site has been carefully assessed and selected as the preferred option based on educational, environmental, and community considerations. 

At this stage, there are no alternative sites being developed, and no further investment is planned or justified in exploring other location.

When selecting a site, we considered the existing annual school roll forecasts for the Forres Associated School Group (ASG) and wider Moray, taking into account future capacity needs and key contributing factors such as birth rate and residential development which can contribute to future growth in Forres.

The proposed school location offers a number of benefits that support local priorities around place-based planning, active travel, and community use. Its central location makes it more accessible for families, encouraging walking and cycling to school and helping to reduce car use. It also creates opportunities to develop a wider community hub that brings local services and residents together in one space. The site’s proximity to the existing primary school supports continuity for pupils and staff and makes the most of the surrounding area’s educational and community potential.

The design of the proposal also takes into account the importance of the common good land. Every effort has been made to minimise disruption during construction, so that the park, swing park, footpath and playing fields remain accessible to the public wherever possible. Once construction is complete, the majority of the land will be returned to the community, with improved drainage to support better use of the green space and playing fields in future.

We considered a number of Council and privately owned land around Forres that could support a new school. Based on a number of factors the preferred Applegrove/Roysvale site was selected. Full details on the site selection information can be found here.

Following a thorough review, the council has decided not to pursue further investigations into the alternative Lochyhill site at this time. Several significant challenges were identified, including complex land ownership, lack of access for site investigations, and higher overall costs. These issues make the Lochyhill option impractical at this stage and risk delaying the delivery of the much needed new school.

The 22 May 24 report to Council states that a Lochyhill siting “could impact local businesses due to edge of town location” but does not identify this as the key factor for a central location preference which has many education and community benefits.

Extending the school day, even by as little as 20 mins, would have significant operating cost impacts.

The report highlights a number of advantages of the Applegrove/Roysvale site which are summarised as:

• Central location better meets the place-based and strategic context requirements for a new community school, aligning with the NPF4 and Scotland’s Learning Estate Strategy – Connecting People, Places and Learning guidance and principles;
• More cost-effective option at a time when the current and future challenges on the Council capital budget are significant;
• Offers educational benefits of a 5-18 campus - with adjacency of existing primary school with benefits of shared management, curriculum and pastoral transition (mainstream and ASN), shared PEF investment and access to extended learning for primary; and
• Benefit of the improvement of the Roysvale land and drainage improvement to improve community use of the green space/playing fields for the future.

There is no evidence that the construction of a new school on the Lochyhill site would encourage houses to be built without significant investment in other areas of infrastructure e.g., roads and services.

Sports Scotland Guidance recommends that secondary schools have access to a synthetic turf area suitable for use as a teaching space. The council would need to determine if a 3G pitch is provided at the school or if access to a 3G pitch can be provided elsewhere within Forres. If there is no other 3G pitch access in Forres, a 3G pitch would be built at the new school location as this would benefit from the ongoing revenue funding provided by Scottish Government.

A workshop was held on 4 December 2023 with local groups, community council and parent council representatives regarding outdoor spaces. Discussions have also been held with Forres skate park and community football trust. Conversations on the outdoor space will continue, especially the use of the existing school site once returned to green space.

Initial engagement on the concept design involved Council Education Team, staff, pupils, and parent councils. This engagement will continue as the design develops, and the project progresses into construction. Any legitimate concerns have been incorporated into the concept design and any future issues or risks raised will be considered and mitigated as required.

We are actively working with Veterans Housing Scotland and will be engaging directly with veterans as part of our ongoing engagement.