THE SCOTTISH government announced on Wednesday that is to award Argyll and Bute Council £6.7m to construct a new building to replace Dunoon’s three existing primary schools - even though Argyll and Bute Council insist that no decision has been made on a merger.

The award is to be made under the controversial Scottish Futures Trust in the financial year 2013-2014. The Scottish government names Kirn, Dunoon and St Mun’s primary schools as beneficiaries of the award.

The leader of Argyll and Bute Council, Dunoon councillor Dick Walsh, said that the government’s announcement was merely an update of a previous commitment to fund a proposed joint campus. He described the announcement as ‘welcome and very positive.’

A council spokeswoman said: “The council is currently developing an Outline Business Case for the proposed project, which is expected will be completed by Christmas.”

Councilor Walsh said: “Although the project is still at an early stage of development, it is one which we believe represents an exciting and innovative solution to the significant challenges posed by Dunoon’s deteriorating primary school buildings.
“Over the next few months, we will continue to develop an Outline Business Case in consultation with our partners, including the Roman Catholic Diocese of Argyll and the Isles.
“We will of course be consulting with parents and all other interested parties as the plans progress and we start to draw up a firm proposal.”

A scheme to have the town’s three primary schools sharing a campus with the Grammar School in 2004 led to 500 demonstrators marching on the offices of Argyll and Bute Council to hand over a 1,500-signature petition objecting to the plan.

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