Councillors at Thursday’s budget meeting will consider delaying a controversial funding decision on a new campus for Mull.
Argyll and Bute Council says the delay is because of recently received information estimating that Scottish Government backing for the project could now be as much as up to 10 per cent less than it previously expected.
The council would have to pay the whole amount of around £40million up front, as well as pay interest on any funding it borrowed to cover the total cost.
"This all adds to the significant financial contribution required from the council, so more time is proposed to allow work to be done on potential financial models for delivering a Mull Campus," said a spokesperson for Argyll and Bute Council.
News of putting the campus decision on hold until more information is available and reported back to the council for consideration in April, comes as communities on Mull and Iona mobilise to save the chance of getting a state-of-the-art new build.
Last week, we reported how people on the two islands, including both community councils, were ’astonished’ when an option not to build a new campus was spotted within council budget papers.
Argyll and Bute Council secured Scottish Government funding last year to put towards such a project and news of its success had been welcomed. The ’mend and make do’ option had not been flagged up to either of the community councils or leading community groups prior to the spending report being published.
Finance director for Argyll and Bute Council Kirsty Flanagan later told concerned community councils in an email there was "insufficient time" to let them know. Her comment was described as ’unforgiveable’ and ’unacceptable’ by protestors.
Parent council representatives from both Mull and Iona gathered on Tuesday online to agree a united statement to send to Argyll and Bute Council ahead of Thursday’s session. The islands’ four elected ward councillors were also invited to attend the crunch meeting.
Irrelevant of where a new campus would be located, islanders were making sure their voices would be heard.
More than 300 of them signed a change.org petition urging Argyll and Bute’s elected members to give serious consideration to the impact that depriving young people of state-of-the-art educational facilities, in an era marked by rapid advancements and opportunities, would have on preparing them for this "fast-paced" world.
And a community poll also attracted nearly 200 hits showing an overwhelming majority of support for a new campus.
We asked Argyll and Bute Council about its plans to consult with communities over the campus from this point and were told: "Community engagement was involved as part of developing the successful (Scottish Government LEIP) bid.
"Because of recently received information, the proposal going to council now is that no decision is made until further detail is available. The further detail will go to April’s meeting and community engagement would continue as appropriate to the decisions made in April."
We also asked if community council and parent council representatives would be able to attend the proposed members’ seminar when the fuller financial details are delivered. The council spokesperson said the members’ seminar was an information session for members, included as part of considering the funding implications for the council.
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