Government places Mull campus responsibility on council's shoulders

An Argyll and Bute Council spokesperson said: "As reiterated by Jenny Gilruth MSP at the parliament today the funding from Scottish Government for LEIP is provided on a ‘like-for-like’ basis.

"This means that a split site is not part of that funding offer. 

"Any facilities beyond or doubling up this ‘like-for-like’ criteria are not funded by LEIP, with the council required to fund 100 per cent of those additional spaces. 

"This is a significant additional financial commitment for a project already at the upper tolerance of affordability. The Council is however, committed to researching those forecast additional costs. 

"Without external funding, in the current budget climate, a split site would present a much greater financial challenge to the council and risk the overall business case for a new campus. 

"As indicated by the Minister today there are no other identified sources of funding to support a split site beyond LEIP package already offered."

“We are listening to community feedback and a report will go to a special council meeting on December 20 that outlines indicative costs of a split site option as well as a general update on the project.”

Convenor of Mull Community Council, John Maughan, said: "It’s very unfair to put the responsibility on the council to find that extra money.

"We are seeking urgent meetings with cabinet secretaries to ask Scottish Futures Trust to assist the council with more LEIP funding.

"Like-for-like just doesn’t fit here. It is different from most school replacements on the mainland.

"We sympathise with the council, we understand that they don’t have the money, but it needs to come from somewhere to be right for Mull. 

"This campus is a once in multiple generations opportunity for Mull, we feel the government should step in to make up the difference."

The community council are planning to host an official postal ballot, based on the council’s shortlist of five sites for the project, to gauge what Mull thinks is the best option. 

The MCC had previously tried to get council funding for a ballot, but were denied. 

The MCC will have to fundraise to host this ballot, for which they also need the council’s shortlist of sites, and the assurance that the council would consider the ballot in its site selection decision. 

That decision has been scheduled to come at the full council meeting in February 2025, it was previously due this month.

Argyll and Bute Council has also refused to share its shortlist until the vote in February. 

On the ballot, it said: “Site selection is not straightforward and will consider a multitude of factors, including technical suitability, cost, risk, transport impact, feedback from the community engagement exercise and various impact assessments, which are underway. 

"Whilst we appreciate and value community feedback, site selection has to consider all these factors and cannot be selected through a community ballot.”