School eco-designs approved

Perth and Kinross Council has given the green light to Passivhaus designs for its next three major building projects.

Councillors unanimously agreed for the eco design to be used in building the replacement Perth High School, Balhousie/North Muirton PS and Blairgowrie Recreation Centre.

By adopting this environmentally friendly design PKC is more likely to secure 50 per cent of the capital funding for the school projects from the Scottish Government through the Learning Estate Investment Programme.

And the Passivhaus design could well be the building standard used in all future Perth and Kinross Council buildings.

Passivhaus buildings use very little energy for heating and cooling and are built according to principles developed by the Passivhaus Institute in Germany.

Kinross-shire SNP councillor Richard Watters’ PKC’s Climate Change Emergency motion was unanimously approved in June 2019. He was delighted and pointed to the additional health benefits.

He said: “COVID-19 has highlighted the risks to health and danger caused by the spread of airborne viruses within our buildings. With the employment of a mechanical air system used to keep a constant stream of fresh air throughout the school [building] in a controlled manner Passivhaus will reduce the risk of any airborne virus circulating in the air.”

Highland Perthshire Conservative councillor John Duff said the designs would address the concerns of pupils. Pupils gathered outside PKC’s headquarters last year calling on the council to take action to reduce carbon emissions.