Council bosses have this week dropped court appeal proceedings and relented to a change of position for the £22 million facility.

The new school will still be built in the Cowan Park but is now set to be sited on the red ash area to the south of the existing school.

And East Renfrewshire Council says work on the new build should be full steam ahead, with ground to be broken next year on an entire new campus.

However, the construction programme would result in the demolition of the Johnny Kelly Pavilion and the newly opened skatepark, both of which would be relocated to the site of the current school.

A council spokeswoman told the Barrhead News: “The Johnny Kelly Pavilion will be replaced on a new site in the park, with the skate park moving with it.

“They will become part of a fantastic sports campus, along with the new running track and pitches planned for the school and the existing new state-of-the-art 3G pitch.

“It is set to be delivered in December 2016.” Two years have passed since it was announced in 2012 that East Renfrewshire Council had secured funding from the Scottish Futures Trust to begin planning and construction of a new Barrhead High School.

The £22 million building was met with opposition when it was announced that the local authority planned to build in the centre of the Cowan Park, where the town’s bandstand currently sits.

A dedicated Cowan Park Action Group was set up to oppose the build and threatened legal action, while Barrhead Community Council held a public meeting and vote, opting to support the proposals after a majority public vote in favour of the original school site.

Friends of the Cowan Park also expressed their support for the school, but urged East Renfrewshire Council to reconsider the site.

Legal complications arose when council bosses were alerted to the fact that they did not actually own the chosen section of Cowan Park land by members of the community.

The park was gifted to the people of Barrhead by James Cowan of Rosshall in 1910, leaving money in his will for the purchase of the land.

East Renfrewshire Council then opted to take the matter to the Court of Session in Edinburgh in late 2013 to clarify the right to build, however the court ruled that it was “common good land” and had no power to allow ERC to build on the site.

And East Renfrewshire Council announced this week they have dropped the appeal proceedings, and have relented to choosing a new site for the school.

Councillor Elaine Green said: “This is wonderful news for the young people, staff and parents of Barrhead High.

“There will be absolutely no compromise on the quality of provision — the existing design for the building can be used with just a few tweaks so it will be the superb school we have always promised.

“Barrhead High pupils will get the school that was always intended for them — and that they deserve.” The designs for the new school campus show a modern building with a boulevard entrance that cuts through the site of the current school.

It also shows that a new running track would be built on the current school site along with and amphitheatre with the skatepark at its heart.

Initial planning application notices will be lodges this week with a proposed start date on site in July 2015.

The existing Barrhead High will remain open throughout the building work with no disruption to the pupils’ education.

The school is being jointly funded by the council and the Scottish Futures Trust.