Shared kitchen problem could disrupt childcare

COUNCIL: Officials warn they will be unable to deliver unless plans develop

Extra free childcare hours for families are at risk due to issues surrounding a new regional school kitchen in Dundee.

Angus council officials have warned they could be unable “to deliver (on a) commitment to the expansion of early learning and childcare” if plans for the shared facility do not progress.

The shared kitchen plans were disrupted last month when Perth and Kinross councillors voted to withdraw from the scheme after a campaign highlighting job losses and concerns over the quality of the frozen food to be prepared in the new kitchen.

The Scottish Government and local authorities have committed to almost doubling the funded entitlement to early learning and childcare (ELC) from 600 to 1,140 hours from August 2020 for all three- and four-year-olds and eligible two-year-olds

Mark Armstrong, Angus Council deputy chief executive, prepared a paper on the Tayside Meals Centre proposal for councillors to consider tomorrow.

It states “there would be a significant risk that the council will not be able to deliver on its commitment to the expansion of ELC in August 2020” without the new Dundee-based kitchen.

The paper said the additional demand for school meals created by the national ELC commitment created “practical challenges… through existing kitchen facilities”.

The paper went on: “If members were not minded to support the proposals in this report urgent action would be needed to determine just how Angus Council would meet the required increase in meal provision in circa 10 months’ time.”

Perth and Kinross Council’s decision to withdraw from the plan has also cost Angus Council £31,000 in anticipated annual savings, according to the paper.

The project is still predicted to save the local authority more than £100,000 per year with no change to the upfront costs.

Dundee City Council has said it is still committed to the shared kitchen.

Tayside Contracts plans to cook school meals at its Tay Cuisine industrial kitchen in Dundee before freezing the food.

The meals will then be shipped out to distribution hubs across the region before being delivered to schools.

Perth and Kinross councillors voted against the plan after concerns about jobs losses in rural parts of Perthshire.

Mr Armstrong moved to allay Angus councillors’ concerns in the report, claiming “no workforce implications for Angus Council related to this report”.

He said there would be “a net increase of 38 Tayside Contracts posts”.

A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: “We have been assured by Angus Council that the expansion of early learning and childcare in Angus will not be held back by the production of meals. The council is continuing to put in place staff, facilities, and systems to ensure that all eligible children have access to 1,140 hours of high quality ELC.”

No workforce implications for Angus Council related to this report. MARK ARMSTRONG

Madam, – Mr Sutherland of Stonehaven (UK union more important than EU link, Courier October 2) is clearly a dyed in the wool unionist who I know I will never dissuade from his beliefs, any more than he could turn me from mine.

If he feels I am part of a “nationalist cult”, then it is no different from him being in a “unionist cult”.

As we have come to expect, Mr Sutherland goes with the usual attack on our education system here in Scotland.

I would not expect him to make comparisons with the rest of the union where they are no better off education-wise than in Scotland, and in some places, worse off.

Where their university students run up huge debt caused by necessary loans in order to repay their tuition fees, Scotland has free tuition for our students,

a scheme brought in by our present SNP Government.

This allows our youth to prosper in a future Scotland, to help build our country into something great in the future free from the shackles of loan repayment which in lots of cases can take many years.

Mr Sutherland also makes reference to the “nationalist government as being, happily, studiously, embroiled in Scexit” (new word to me,

which I assume means Scottish exit). Well, what else would you expect of a party hell bent in independence for our nation? Good on them!

Mr Sutherland may not understand that not all nationalists are in full favour of an SNP Government once we are independent.

Many who I associate with actually believe a coalition may be the best start, with all parties pulling together to set our country off on a good footing.

You see, we are not all mad, claymore swinging fanatics, ready to cross the border and seize our independence by whatever means.

We will do it in a civilised manner through the ballot box.

And we will get there. Robert Donald. Denhead Farm, Ceres.