Council fast-tracks new Dunbeg primary school
Argyll and Bute Council is looking at building a new primary school in Dunbeg, after finally admitting capacity is an issue at the current school as housing expands in the area.
Adrian Jackson-Stark, the Oban Lorn Arc Regeneration Project manager at Argyll and Bute Council, told Wednesday’s Oban, Lorn and the Isles Area Committee: ‘In terms of a new primary school, education have confirmed that the existing school capacity is likely to be an issue and we are looking at options including a new school.’
Councillor Roddy McCuish reacted: ‘I am absolutely delighted that education have now confirmed that the school capacity is likely to be an issue.
‘I think it was pointed out to the education department two to three years ago that this would be an issue. So, it’s good that it’s been fast-tracked and now they’re looking forward to it.’
The committee’s chairperson, councillor Elaine Robertson, said: ‘We were happy to hear there is an attitude change there, and hopefully there will be work going on around that, there’ll be modelling, etc.’
Mr Jackson-Stark also gave an update on progress on the roundabout on the A85 at Dunbeg, and the business park at Oban Airport.
‘We are looking at the scope and extent of the projects. We are looking at borrowing more money to do more things, both out at the airport and also at Dunbeg, We need more income to pay off the debt, the borrowing. One of the ways to do that is to extend the timescale that we are allowed to collect non-domestic rates.
‘Currently we are allowed to collect and keep the non-domestic rates to pay off the debt up until 2040. What we are now debating with the government is can we push that date out, which would give us maybe five, 10 years extra of non-domestic rates coming in, and that would obviously mean we could spend more money on the projects.’
Councillor Elaine Robertson said: ‘It’s a case of getting on with it and getting it done. Oban cannot grow without that roundabout in place, because it opens up an area for commercial growth and for housing. I was appalled to see the waiting list is still very high, even though we are in the process of producing all these new houses.’
On the airport business park, Mr Jackson-Stark said: ‘It was the first project that we started. We built back in 2015 a small spine road that extends into the area that we would like to develop in the long run as a business park.
‘Whilst it has been done correctly, despite repeated marketing and discussions with developers, nothing has come forward, which is obviously disappointing. It seems to be, talking to developers, that the perceived costs they have over the costs that they could end up incurring basically stalled any development proposals.
‘In terms of discussions with developers, the most protracted have been with TSL. TSL want to have their headquarters located at the airport. For them it makes complete sense and it also looks amazing.
‘The council are quite keen on this idea. The way that TSL want to do it is either through a ground lease where they build the building, or their preference would be that we build the building and then lease the whole lot back to them.’
Regarding the new drone hub at Oban Airport, Mr Jackson-Stark said a search and rescue company is hoping to operate across the West Coast from that location, but they are waiting for funding.