MORAY Council has announced that it is to move forward with the build of a new Forres Academy.
The local authority said it aims to open the new school by autumn 2028, with consultations on the proposals set to get underway towards the end of June.
The consultations will focus on the preferred site identified at Applegrove/Roysvale Park, with the council saying this will ensure the project stays on track to secure ‘essential’ Scottish Government funding and avoids delays or increased costs due to inflation.
Alongside this, following a review, the council has decided not to pursue further investigations into the alternative site for the school at Lochyhill. Several 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 school.
Chair of Moray Council’s education, children’s, and leisure services committee, councillor Kathleen Robertson, said, “It’s good to see the new Forres Academy project coming to life as the design stage kicks off, with the decision to focus on Applegrove/Roysvale Park keeping things on track. While there are differing views in the community, it’s vital that we continue to make progress for the benefit of our young people and the wider area. Progressing into the design phase is a really exciting step in this major development for Forres, and I look forward to seeing the project continue to move forward over the coming months.”
