Campaigns twin up to save school buildings
CAMPAIGNERS from two communities have met in a bid to stop their local schools ‘sleepwalking’ into decay and disuse.
Residents from Ardchattan – who have big plans for their school building which was mothballed by Argyll and Bute Council four years ago – invited representatives from Achnamara, near Loch Sween, whose school was temporarily shut in 2016. The two groups shared ideas and campaign tactics.
Ardchattan community councillor Breege Smyth said: ‘There’s strength in numbers. Meeting up will be very useful.
‘We are looking at the same goal and that’s to keep both our buildings alive. It’s good for us to show the council that we are working together, and with them, to get a good outcome for our communities.’
If Ardchattan School was to closed for good, the community, looking at setting up a community development trust, would consider taking ownership of the building and running it as an activity hub. Ideas include a part-time shop, a pop-up cafe, a bunkhouse, a space for art workshops or evening classes, a museum linked to the quarry at Bonawe, or a spiritual retreat – all of which would create jobs.
A full consultation on its future starts on Friday May 18 ending on Friday June 29. On Tuesday December 11, a report will go to the community services committee for a decision which will then be passed on to Scottish ministers.
Argyll and Bute Council wants to hear from the public whether it should continue mothballing the school, re-open it with its current catchment, widen the in-take area or close it for good.
When the school, built in 1886, was mothballed in 2014 it had room for 57 pupils but had only four on the register.
If it was open now it would have 10 pupils but would cost around £112,000 a year to run, according to the council. Those children are now being transported to schools in Benderloch and Dunbeg. Ashfield school, purpose built in the 1960s, is also under review by the council. Villagers say it shut because of a high turnover of teachers, influencing parents to send their children elsewhere.
Now they fear if left disused it would be lost to the community. Their village hall dates back to the 1950s, their shop and post office has already shut, an outdoor centre is derelict and now Inverlussa Church is about to close its doors.
Ashfield campaigner Steve Benham said: ‘We don’t want the school to sleepwalk into leaving us with no community life. We would have nothing left as a central point.’
The community has carried out a survey and is drawing up plans to come up with possible uses for the building, even if it reopened as a school.