Islanders who have long lobbied for a new campus on Mull are bracing themselves for a crucial consultation heading their way.
The most contentious issue will be the eventual location of Tobermory High School’s replacement.
Inevitably there will be people disappointed wherever it goes, but what is important, is that everyone gets to have a say and that every view is respected and recorded, Mull Community Council heard at its meeting this month.
People are being encouraging to be patient and to wait for information and transparency from Argyll and Bute Council to see what the options are for the new facility that will be much more than a school.
The proposed development is one of only 10 successful Learning Estate Investment Projects across Scotland to get a share of £450-500million of Scottish Government money.
Community councillor Tracy Mayo said she was “beyond happy” about the funding news.
Although the Scottish Government will fund up to 50 per cent of the project, Argyll and Bute Council will have to come up with the rest, which means it is still early days for the scheme.
“We don’t really know what the options are going to be, what communities will be involved, will there be changes just for Mull and Iona or just Mull? We don’t know what the possibilities are.
“We have to wait to go to consultation and for the transparency around that. It’s really important that everyone gets to register their view. It needs to be fair, balanced, risk assessed. Every view needs to be respected and recorded,” she added, saying there had been concerns about the council’s pre-engagement with communities before the funding bid went in.
“It’s really crucial that consultation allows everyone to record their view and that people in the community take the opportunity to record their view in the appropriate way as part of the process,” she added, saying it was important, “We are all patient and listen to each other so that we can deliver what’s best for our communities.
“This is possibly one of the biggest things to happen in our community and is going to have a massive impact. Our community has shown many times we are up to the challenge and hopefully the council are up to working with us.”
Ms Mayo said there were people who had registered concerns because they were not included in Argyll and Bute council’s pre-engagement. She said she knew there were limits to the pre-engagement and that there were timescales, but that she had to ask for a second session in Bunessan and had to make sure parent councils got invited.
However, she added: “I have every faith the community can work together. I hope it all goes well and I do hope we are over consulted.”
Argyll and Bute councillor Andrew Kain told the community council meeting that the the new campus would need to make commercial sense, opening as near as possible to 365 days a year, 24/7.
He said facilities could include offices, small businesses, a playgroup, a nursery – anything that could make the campus function as long as it can throughout the day.
Mull & Iona Community Trust general manager Moray Finch said it was “really exciting and a bit scary” about the “phenomenal” amount of consultation there would be, and he warned there would be people disappointed with the final outcome in terms of the most contentious issue.
“More than 50 per cent will be disappointed with wherever it is going to be located. We just have to hope that when we reach that point the disappointment is tempered by the recognition that – well, we’ve had our say and that it was given due consideration,” he said.
Argyll and Bute Councillor Willie Hume said: “We need to get it (the location) right no matter how long consultation takes.”
Ms Mayo added: “There will be certain options and they will be limited due to our infrastructure. This is an opportunity for our young people to have all those facilities and that’s something to hold in mind if you feel you’re going to be disappointed. Ultimately we need better facilities for our young people.”