Mothballed Ardchattan school could create jobs
A SMALL community has revealed big hopes for a school building mothballed by Argyll and Bute Council four years ago.
Members of the public were invited to have a say on the future of Ardchattan School at a meeting on Friday.
Among ideas from the community, if it was to shut forever as a school, was to take ownership of the building running it as an activity hub, 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 even a spiritual retreat - all creating jobs.
Argyll and Bute Council organised the meeting to hear views on whether it should continue mothballing the school, re-open it with its current catchment, widen the in-take area or close it for good.
Ardchattan community councillor Breege Smyth was at the drop-in meeting to present a long list of ideas drawn up by locals interested in forming a community development trust and using the school as a job-generating hub.
More than 30 people turned up to a previous event, offering ideas and overwhelming support to keep the building in the community, said Ms Smyth, who added: ‘There was no shortage of ideas from people who could see the asset that it could be to the community. It’s already an active community, the only thing they are missing is a hub and the school could be it.
‘Seeing the school shut saddened them. If it goes for good now there’s no chance of them ever having anything like it.’
She said: ‘It would not be the first time a community has taken on a school as an asset then let it back to the council as a school if the demographic was to change.’
Volunteers have already come forward to set up a steering group to look at the structure, feasibility and funding sources for a new community development trust.
‘I think we could make a strong case for the council to hand over the building to the community,’ said Ms Smyth.
Other ideas such a trust would look at would be running an electric-powered bus, re-establishing ferry links with Taynuilt and introducing pontoons to take advantage of boats visiting Oban.
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 bused to schools in Benderloch and Dunbeg .
Roll figures for the start of 2018 and 2019 academic years would be just seven.
The full consultation starts on Friday May 18 and ends 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.
Suggestions for Ardchattan School should be emailed to kathryn.wilkie@argyll-bute.gov. uk by tomorrow, April 6.