New island school campus to be built in Tobermory after council meeting

Several councillors have registered their dissent at the decision by Argyll and Bute Council that Tobermory South is the preferred site for the new Mull Campus.

A special meeting of the full council was called, at the request of the authority’s administration group, to consider the recommendation by officers that Tobermory should be the site for the planned new school premises.

A three-strong deputation of residents spoke at the meeting about their concerns over the recommendation, while a former councillor spoke in favour of the proposal.

After three and a half hours of discussion, council leader Councillor Jim Lynch (SNP, Oban South and the Isles) moved that the recommendation should be accepted.

Councillor Tommy MacPherson (Independent, South Kintyre) tried to move an amendment, but it was deemed not to be competent and so was not read out.

During the discussion, SNP Councillors Gordon Blair (Cowal) and Julie McKenzie (Oban North and Lorn) requested that their dissent be recorded should the recommendation be the council’s decision.

As the decision was reached, dissent was also asked to be recorded by Councillor MacPherson as well as Councillors Jennifer Kean (Independent, South Kintyre), Amanda Hampsey (Conservative, Oban South and the Isles), Daniel Hampsey (Conservative, Dunoon) and Liz McCabe (Independent, Isle of Bute).

Addressing the meeting, Mull resident Tracy Mayo said: “I am here to ask you to vote for a pause in this process to allow the community to consider all the options on the table.

“We are a working group that was set up and we have taken all advice. We wanted to do something whereby people could see what people wanted.

“We did a survey which over 600 people responded to. For comparison, for the collective leadership model, 852 responded.

“It shows a will or want in the community, and what we are asking for is, when you look at all the information, this was not done fairly. We are looking to work together.”

Council officials stated during the meeting that any delay to the process could cost a significant sum of money on a monthly basis.

Mary Jean Devon, who was a councillor from 2007 to 2022, then said: “Most of my 15 years were spent working with children and families.

“We thought the last meeting we had about schools on Mull was closure. The community stood up to challenge what was happening with schools being closed, and those two schools are now going from strength to strength.

“I have been asked to find out why pupils have, for quite a long time, been in a school that is not fit for purpose.

“I have listened to compelling arguments from people all over the island on where the school should be. I believe the school should remain in Tobermory. We could build a central campus and put proper infrastructure across the island.”

As the recommendation of Tobermory South, moved by Councillor Lynch and seconded by Councillor Audrey Forrest (SNP, Dunoon), was deemed the only competent motion, it became the decision of the council.