Planning permission granted for new Passivhaus community campus in Faifley

Planning permission has been granted for a new community campus in Faifley, West Dunbartonshire that will bring together two primary schools, a nursery and ASN provision with a host of community facilities, including a library.

Designed to meet industry-leading Passivhaus requirements, as well as the Scottish Government’s Net Zero Public Sector Buildings Standards, the new campus will require little energy for space heating or cooling, driving down running costs and carbon emissions.

The new facility for West Dunbartonshire Council, which will be delivered through hub West Scotland and received part-funding from the Scottish Government’s Learning Estate Improvement Programme, will improve services for local people by co-locating education and community facilities under one roof.

It will replace the existing St Josephs and Edinbarnet primary schools, Auchnacraig and Lennox early learning and childcare centres and the Skypoint community centre with modern, accessible facilities that benefit from significantly reduced maintenance and running costs, as well as low carbon emissions.

The sports hall and all-weather outdoor pitch will be available out-of-hours to community sports groups, and the flexible design will allow the school’s dining space to double as a drama or dance facility for local groups.

Community allotments and an attractive arrival plaza will feature in the grounds of the campus, along with a forest school area and biodiverse garden.

Designs and colour palettes for the facility take inspiration from the nearby Cochno Stone, a large rock that features Bronze Age carvings. The cup and ring pattern found on the stone is referenced in both the building’s interior and exterior.

Ruaridh Nicol, Associate at Holmes Miller, said: "We’ve designed the new Campus as a sustainable and inclusive facility that will provide the people of Faifley not only with a high-quality educational building, but also indoor and outdoor sport and leisure facilities for all ages, that will enhance lives.

“We’ve taken on board the views of local people while designing the campus, and hope that the end result will be a building which the whole community can be proud of.”

Cllr O’Neil, Chair of West Dunbartonshire Council’s Planning Committee, said: “This is great news for Faifley and is the most significant capital investment since the area was built. While the current buildings have served the community well, I am pleased to see this approved at Planning and we can now take forward the new learning and community facilities which will be a real improvement for the young people and community of Faifley.

“The campus will bring together two primary schools and two early learning centres and an additional support needs base and be home to a community library. I am keen to see work starting on this project which will not only be welcomed by children and young people, the community facilities which will replace the current Skypoint building will be a well-used resource for use by the residents of Faifley and beyond.”

Iain Marley, hub West Scotland CEO added: “We are delighted to have partnered with West Dunbartonshire Council and led the planning and delivery of the new campus project.  In addition to creating high quality environments for learning and the provision of key services, the investment will immediately bring tangible benefits in the form of a programme of activities that support local educational establishments, those affected by poverty and with barriers to learning and employment opportunities and local businesses and community groups. 

“The project has been developed with reference to the place principles in order to ensure that the facilities maximise the opportunity to improve the lives of local people and create a development that makes a very positive contribution to the community.”

Design team:

Main contractor: Morrison Construction

Design team: Atelier Ten, Cowal Design Consultants, Faithful + Gould, OOBE, Sussed Sustainability