Plans to close Kilchrenan Primary School are to go out for public consultation after councillors endorsed its proposed closure.
A draft proposal to end education provision at Kilchrenan Primary from November 29, 2024 was unanimously agreed by councillors and will now go out to statutory consultation.
But questions were raised about the process by which the consultation will be conducted, and also over the future use of the building should the closure officially happen.
The discussion took place at a meeting of Argyll and Bute Council’s community services committee on Thursday December 14.
The school has been mothballed since March 2022 and currently has no pupils on its roll – a number which is not expected to significantly rise any time soon.
Councillor Math Campbell-Sturgess (SNP, Helensburgh and Lomond South) asked: “On the actual consultation period, my only concern is it will literally start just before Christmas.
“I accept there may not be many consultees, but it is just to check we are iron-clad.
“Would it be more sensible to move it to after the start of the New Year?”
Graeme McMillan, transformation programme manager, responded: “The Schools Consultation (Scotland) Act requires that the consultation part should be for at least six weeks, including 30 school days.
“There was consideration given to waiting until the New Year and opening it then, but if the agreement of the committee was to move forward, information would go out to stakeholders in time for the Christmas week.
“That proposed time frame would be just over nine weeks, which would include the required 30 school days. It runs to the end of February.
“The reason we are saying to start now is so that officers can get materials out in time to give stakeholders a longer window.”
Councillor Audrey Forrest (SNP, Dunoon) asked: “I see there is interest in the building itself from local people in developing a community hub, or it could be part of a plan for the national park.
“How long do you give that to happen? We have got a building that is already deteriorating, and how long do we give it before marketing it?”
Mr McMillan said: “If any interested parties were to come forward at any point during the consultation, it is something the council could work with them on with a view to speeding up the process.
“But before any change of use, the building would have to conduct a school closure exercise. The premises would have to be fully discontinued as a school before becoming something else.
“We would have to be beyond the end of November, but if any group was to come forward, officers would be open to working with any interested parties.”
The committee then unanimously agreed to adopt the draft plan and conduct the consultation, which will be on the council’s website at argyll-bute.gov.uk in due course.