Update 7 - December 2024
Community Sounding Board Meeting
The Council’s Mull Project Team held their second meeting with the Mull Community Sounding Board on Thursday 14th November.
The Community Sounding Board is formed of community representatives who are impacted by or have an interest in the proposed new Mull 2-18 Campus, including groups such as Community Councils, Parent Councils, Community Development Trusts, constituted community groups, Education Staff, and student voices. The purpose of the group is to advise the Mull Campus Project Team on how best to engage with the community in relation to the project, share project updates and information with the group(s) that they represent and feedback the views of the group on their behalf.
The meeting included discussion on site selection and the next steps for this process, which we have outlined below.
Site Selection Update
Following the call for sites, a small number of potentially suitable sites have been shortlisted for further consideration. These include some in Tobermory and some in a more central location on Mull. Shortlisted sites were determined by technical considerations, i.e. size, flood risk and topography.
The feedback received from communities during the engagement exercise has directly influenced the criteria to be used for the detailed site assessment which is now being carried out by the technical team.
Technical assessments have been completed for the shortlisted sites and a transport assessment has been undertaken looking at the potential transport impact of each site option. Further information on the process is available in the Q&A section on our website: Mull Campus Project
Impact Assessments
To supplement these technical assessments, and following feedback from community representatives, the Mull Campus Team are in the process of commissioning wider impact assessments to inform the site selection process.
These include an Economic Impact, Equalities Impact, Island Communities Impact, Children’s Rights & Wellbeing Impact and a Fairer Scotland Duty Assessment.
These are expected to conclude in January to allow a recommendation report to be presented at the next meeting of the full council, scheduled for February 2025. The report will take account of the technical assessments, the community engagement analysis, transport assessment and these wider impact assessments.
Good News
Our project partners, hub North Scotland, as part of their Community Benefits Programme, plan to make a further generous £100 contribution to the local community foodbank Mull and Iona Pantry this month. This is much appreciated support. In 2025 they are hoping to support other organisations. If there any other charitable organisations that you are aware of that would benefit, please just let us know.
Project Process Update
Although the site selection stage is extending early into the new year to develop a recommendation, the project is still proceeding on track overall. We anticipate starting design development in April next year as shown in the diagram below.
We will be in touch again in the New Year to provide you with a further update ahead of the Council decision at the next full Council meeting, which is proposed in February. In the meantime, we send warm wishes for a joyful and peaceful festive season to you all from the Mull Campus Team.
Update 6 - November 2024
Community Engagement Analysis Report
We would like to extend a huge thank you once again to everyone that participated in the Community Engagement Events. Your input, ideas and feedback have been invaluable in shaping the Community Engagement Analysis Report. We appreciate the time, energy and thoughtfulness you brought to the discussions and are delighted to inform you that the report was shared at the Community Sounding Board Meeting on 14th November ahead of sharing it with the wider community. The report is available on our website - Mull Campus Project
A total of 352 people contributed comments to the engagement, via several channels.
- 10 drop-in sessions
- 205 attendees
- 32 hours
- 1 dedicated staff session
- 10 pupil focus groups
- 115 online surveys completed
- 18 emails and 14 paper responses received
We are using this valuable information gathered in the report to inform the site selection criteria. The analysis has provided us with the aspects of site selection that are important to you and has identified the key themes. Here are the key themes and issues that were raised most frequently across the majority of locations:
- Location - Many people felt that primary and / or ELC provision must be kept in Tobermory, meaning that a split site with a more centralised high school was the most commonly requested solution to providing an equitable and accessible campus. Some queried whether a hostel on Mull was a possibility.
- Equity - The importance of an equitable solution that provides access for as many children as possible. These comments tended to be rooted in a desire for fairness and equity, and were often combined with comments about keeping families together and creating more social cohesion between the communities in the north and south.
- Ease of access - The campus should be easily accessible from good transport networks, with plenty of parking and safe pick up and drop off areas. Active travel is also important to some, with a desire for children to be able to safely walk and cycle to school.
- Community stability - The power of a campus to create community stability and sustainability, whether by attracting and retaining people to live and work in a location, or by supporting the shops and cafes nearby. For some, this was about a specific location – for example, supporting the stability of the Ross of Mull or avoiding depopulation of the north. For others, it was about the sustainability of Mull and islands as a whole.
- Expanded curriculum - The campus should be able to provide a range of subject areas including vocational subjects, either by space provision and / or by making use of teachers who have easy access from Oban.
- Access to facilities - Access to good facilities both on campus and close by. This includes space for sports facilities and other outdoor activities such as learning and socialising, space for community facilities such as a library, shops and other activities somewhere near the school so children can socialise. In addition to this, equitable access to after school clubs whereby children do not have to rush away to catch ferries or travel long bus journeys.
- Travel - Concerns about the increase in travel if children are to be transported to a location outside of Tobermory. The key issues raised were: Poor infrastructure such as road conditions, winter weather, lack of buses, and access for families without cars; Wellbeing impact on children spending long portions of their day travelling, especially younger children. Emphasis on length of journey, not distance, due to the nature of roads on Mull; Environmental impact of increased travel; Impact on children who are neurodiverse, or have other reasons to avoid long travel such as experiencing travel sickness or bullying.
- Family unity - Keeping families together and avoiding children having to leave home through the week to board. There were additional themes around families having the right to choose whether to board or stay at home, and comments about the rights of children to education and a home life. However, those on Iona strongly requested the right to retain access to funded places at Oban High School, regardless of where the campus is located on Mull.
Engagement Strategy
The engagement strategy developed at the time of the LEIP bid submission has been updated and incorporates a timeline diagram of each of the stages. A copy of this is now available on the project webpage - Mull Campus Project
- Island Place Review
- Community Engagement
- Sites Identification
- Sites Appraisal and Selection
- Intelligent Briefing
- Statutory Planning Consultation
- Scottish Schools Consultation
Who is Hub North Scotland?
Hub North Scotland is one of five hub companies set up through the Scottish Futures Trust, which is a Scottish Government organisation, to deliver infrastructure projects across the country.
It is a development partner for the public sector to deliver community infrastructure projects across the north. It is a non-profit organisation working on behalf of 16 public sector clients, including local authorities, health boards, the police, fire and ambulance services.
All 16 public sector clients, including Argyll and Bute Council, are shareholders in the company. Any financial surpluses are ploughed back into the public sector. Hub North Scotland’s role is to help clients develop community infrastructure projects from conception to handover.
It provides additional resources when required and facilitates the appointment of specialist services such as architects, engineers and a main contractor for the project. It manages the whole process until handover, working alongside the client. It operates an ‘Open Book’ process with full transparency and accountability on everything it does and all tendering is carried out with the complete involvement and approval of the client.
Hub North Scotland has already helped Argyll and Bute Council successfully deliver projects such as the new Oban High School, Campbeltown Grammar School, Kirn Primary School and the refurbishment and extension of Dunoon Primary School.
The Mull Campus project is part of the North Schools Programme, a pioneering initiative set up by Hub North Scotland to bring together five local authorities to deliver eight new schools by working together to share resources, knowledge and best practice.
This joint programme approach will help clients deliver their school projects more quickly, more efficiently and will deliver substantial commercial and community benefits including opportunities for small and medium-sized local businesses, local employment and training.
Mull Campus Capacity
We would like to take the opportunity to explain the difference between school roll and capacity and how that relates to LEIP funding.
The school roll represents the number of children currently enrolled in and attending a school. For the existing Tobermory High School this is broken down into Early Learning, Primary and Secondary pupils. The school roll for Tobermory is broken down as follows, noting that this is correct at this point in time and will fluctuate over the course of each academic year:
| Sector | Number of children |
|---|---|
| Early Learning |
15 |
| Primary |
81 |
| Secondary |
155 |
The capacity of a school can be described in two ways.
- Physical capacity: the maximum number of pupils that can be accommodated in the school as determined by the layout, the number of classrooms and size of each room.
- Operational capacity: the maximum capacity that can be supported by the existing staffing levels and other operational factors such as composite classes in primary school which can have no more than 25 pupils regardless of room size.
The amount of LEIP funding that we are eligible to receive from Scottish Government for the Mull 2-18 Campus is on a ‘like for like’ basis and determined by the physical capacity of the existing Tobermory school. The current physical capacity is outlined in the table below.
| Sector | Number of children |
|---|---|
| Early Learning |
31 |
| Primary |
136 |
| Secondary |
222 |
The capacity to be provided by the new Mull 2-18 Campus will be determined by what the council believes is required to respond to future population projections, and will consider school roll forecasts, planned housing development and population demographics. At the time of the LEIP bid we were working on the basis of the projected rolls of ELC- 31, Primary - 90 and Secondary - 177, which would provide the following maximum physical capacity:
| Sector | Number of Children |
|---|---|
| Early Learning |
50 |
| Primary |
115 |
| Secondary |
294 |
Please note that this will be reviewed once the location of the new campus is determined and to take account of the most up to date school roll forecasts and census information. This will be carried out before any design work starts. The design will also allow the spaces to be used flexibly between year groups, allowing the primary school to use one of the secondary school classrooms if needed.
Project progress update
The project is proceeding on track and you can see the stage in the diagram below.
Next steps
The shortlist of potential sites is now complete, and we’re currently conducting a detailed analysis of each one. A group of experts will review and score the shortlisted sites to ensure a well-informed recommendation. The final recommendation paper will be ready in December and will go to full council for a decision soon after.
Update 5 - October 2024
Community Engagement Sessions – Thank you!
Following our Call for Sites, where we asked you to let us know of any potential sites that may be suitable for the new 2-18 Mull Campus, the project team hosted a series of community engagement sessions, across Mull and Iona, to give all members of the community an opportunity to let us know what is important to them when selecting a site.
There were ten face to face sessions, held in Tobermory, Craignure, Salen, Dervaig, Lochdonhead, Ulva, Bunessan and Iona, in addition to an online survey and dedicated pupil workshops, to ensure we captured as broad a range of feedback as possible.
Over 200 people attended the workshops, and provided us with lots of insightful, helpful and sometimes personal, feedback. We greatly appreciate this feedback, which has given us valuable insight into what matters most to you when considering potential locations for the new campus, and we would like to extend our thanks to each and every one of you who has taken time to contact us.
The Call for Sites and associated engagement period related to that has now closed, and we are working closely with our engagement specialists to collate and analyse the information from the sessions, online questionnaire and e-mails received. As you can appreciate, there is a lot of detail to digest, and we are aiming to share the outcomes of the report with you in our next project update, which is due in November.
Split Site/Campus
A common query raised throughout this engagement period is the possibility of having a “split site”, with Early Learning/Primary facilities in Tobermory and a High School located more centrally. We would advise that LEIP funding is based on a “like for like” replacement basis, which means that funding is based on the existing pupil capacity numbers, and community facilities within the existing Tobermory Campus only (inclusive of the Nursery, Primary School, High School, College, Community spaces, Library and sports facilities).
Any facilities beyond or above the ‘like for like’ criteria are not funded by LEIP. The Council would therefore require to fund 100% of those additional spaces.
Campus facilities have greater efficiency and affordability than separate or split site projects which would need at least two buildings with two sets of accommodation to meet LEIP requirements, such as dining / games hall, commercial kitchens, pitches, staff rooms, plant / server rooms and external spaces. 2x building projects would also require additional preliminary construction costs including roads, car parking, site compounds and utilities connections. This doubling up of facilities and project costs would add significant additional cost to the proposals and, as the funding position would remain “like for like” with the existing facility, meaning additional spaces or costs would not be funded by LEIP.
In addition to this ‘doubling up’ of spaces, from a construction point of view, a split site would have higher than single site operational and revenue costs compared to a campus as there would be at least 2 x utilities costs, non-domestic rates, cleaning, maintenance costs and enhanced staffing / supervision costs.
LEIP funding is also contingent upon that the project being open to pupils by December 2027. With a current estimate of construction completion in early 2029 the Council have already informed the Scottish Government we are likely to exceed this timescale which puts the project at a degree of risk. There is regular engagement with Scottish Government LEIP team on progress (every 2 months) and the team have confirmed they will take account of 1 year delay in funding decision, and indicated some flexibility over timeframes, but the view is splitting the site would likely increase the project planning and construction timescale even further therefore increasing this risk.
The council approval to commence the Business Case, undertake engagement exercises and commence site selection process in April 2024 was on the basis of a single construction project of a 2-18 campus. This is what the team will continue to progress.
As outlined above it would not be financially affordable to have two separate construction projects and operational school sites. This would present a much greater financial challenge to the council’s capital and revenue (operational and staffing) budgets with an increased risk of the project not receiving outline or full business case approval due to affordability.
As well as the Council perspective, the Scottish Futures Trust (SFT) have indicated there is no other identified sources of funding to support a split site beyond the package already offered as part of the LEIP funding which has been reported to Council.
We acknowledge that the engagement process has yet to be concluded and confirms all representations will be considered but given the circumstances outlined above the Council’s position is that the option of splitting the Mull Campus is not one which could be afforded.
We have updated our Frequently Asked Questions on the project website to include this information, along with other frequently raised queries during the drop-in sessions.
Good News
Our project partners, hub North Scotland, as part of their Community Benefits Programme, have made a generous £100 contribution to the local community foodbank Mull and Iona Pantry this month. This is much appreciated support, and we will continue to work with the team and look forward to supporting other community groups as the project progresses.
Next steps
- The feedback received during the engagement period will inform the site selection criteria and weightings that we will use to assess potential sites.
- A report on the outcome of the community engagement sessions is being finalised by the hub North engagement specialist.
- We will meet with the Community Sounding Board in November, to review the report, and the report will be published following that meeting
- Specialists are carrying out a transport review of the existing 2-18 Tobermory school, and any potentially suitable sites. The outcome of this review will feed into the Site Appraisal exercise.
- The hub North architect has visited the sites put forward during the call for sites process. The hub North technical team will review these to determine a shortlist of potentially viable options for further assessment.
- We will work in conjunction with hub North to carry out an appraisal of these shortlisted sites against set criteria which takes account of your feedback during the engagement period and the outcome of this (along with the community engagement report and transport assessment) will be presented to our Strategic Board to identify a preferred site by the end of the year. The final decision on site selection will be made by full council.
Summary Project Progress
If you have any queries or questions in relation to the project, or the information contained in this update, please feel free to contact us at our dedicated project e-mail mull.campus@argyll-bute.gov.uk – we would love to hear from you.
Update 4 - September 2024
Good afternoon from sunny Mull!
The Mull Campus Team are in Craignure Village Hall to hold their first community engagement drop-in session. Lots of people have popped in by and we have had some great feedback already, and are looking forward to hearing from you all over the course of the next couple of weeks.
The purpose of these sessions is to get your input on what factors are important to you when considering potential sites for the new 2-18 Campus on Mull so that this can be reflected in the criteria and weightings for the site appraisal process.
A wee reminder of the dates, times and venues is provided below – please come along if you can.
| Date | Times | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Tuesday 17 September | 2pm - 9pm | Craignure Hall |
| Wednesday 18 September | 10am - 2pm | Tobermory Scout Hall |
| 4pm - 9pm | Tobermory High School | |
| Thursday 19 September | 10am - 2pm | Salen Church Hall |
| 3.30pm - 6pm | Salen Primary School | |
| Monday 23 September | 1pm - 3pm | Ulva Primary School |
| Tuesday 24 September | 2pm - 3.30pm | Dervaig Village Hall |
| 5pm - 9pm | Lochdonhead Primary School | |
| Wednesday 25 September | 12.15pm - 2.15pm | Iona Village Hall |
| 4pm - 6pm | Bunessan Community Hall |
If you weren't able to come along to one of the sessions, feedback could also be provided online until Monday 7th October, so we could capture as many of your views as possible.
If you have any queries or questions in relation to the project, or the information contained in this update, please feel free to contact us at our dedicated project e-mail mull.campus@argyll-bute.gov.uk – we would love to hear from you.
Update 3 - August 2024
Download a copy of this newsletter (PDF)
Community Sounding Board
We had our first meeting of the Community Sounding Board in Craignure on Wednesday 21st August, where community representatives gave the project team valuable feedback on their planned communication and engagement with the community. The group agreed terms of reference and membership, which will include representatives from parent councils, community councils, local development trusts, school staff, pupil voices and other constituted community groups (e.g. Home Start). Key points of discussion were:
- The site selection and call for sites process.
- Dates, times, and venues for community engagement drop-in sessions due to take place at a range of locations on Mull and Iona between the 17th and 25th September 2024. The sessions will ask communities what issues they think are important to consider when assessing potential sites for the new campus. More information about these sessions will be issued soon.
- Being clearer as to what a new 2-18 campus on Mull means in terms of education provision and for the existing 2-18 school at Tobermory. It was agreed to develop a short update to be shared with the communities. This is provided below, and a single-page version is attached. We would be grateful if this could be shared widely.
New Mull Campus – what that means
The Community Sounding Board asked us to be clearer about what the new 2-18 campus on Mull means for education provision in the area.
- The funding is for a like for like replacement 2-18 campus; which is a combined early learning centre, primary and secondary school. The funding was awarded because the existing Tobermory campus continues to deteriorate and requires investment.
- Regardless of the location selected, when the new 2-18 campus opens, the existing
Tobermory school buildings will no longer be used to provide education. - If the location chosen is out with Tobermory this is likely to trigger a review of school catchment areas across the islands.
- There is no intention or plan to close any of the other primary schools across the islands.
- None of the above will impact on a parent’s entitlement to make a placing request to a school of their choice.
Call for Sites
We are asking people to come forward with possible sites for the new campus, with the following media release being issued this week:-
Argyll and Bute Council are seeking suggestions from the community on sites that may be suitable for the new, replacement Mull 2-18 Education Campus.
Members of the community are invited to come forward with suggestions of possible sites, which should be at least 2.3 hectares (roughly the size of the existing Tobermory High School site). As much detail as possible, including the site location, size and ownership (where known) should be e-mailed to mull.campus@argyll-bute.gov.uk no later than Friday 13th September 2024.
Project Process
The project set up is complete and we are about to start community engagement and site selection, which will run for the remainder of 2024.
The next project decision point is consideration of our Outline Business Case (OBC) at the end of 2025. If it is approved, it gives us permission to develop a detailed design and Full Business Case (FBC).
The purpose of these business cases is to demonstrate to the council that the project remains affordable and deliverable. Both Outline and Full Business Cases need to be approved by the council before we can start building.
If you have any queries or questions in relation to the project, or the information contained in this update, please feel free to contact us at our dedicated project e-mail mull.campus@argyll-bute.gov.uk– we would love to hear from you.
Update 2
Community Sounding Board
Invites have recently been issued to parent councils, community councils and local development trusts inviting a representative of each group to be a member of the project’s Community Sounding Board. The purpose of the group is to support the project team on how best to engage with the community, feedback their organisation’s views and help to keep the community informed about the project. We are aiming to hold the first meeting on Wednesday 21st August. This is the start of a potential 5-year partnership to deliver this exciting new educational campus.
Project Structure
We are continuing to set up the project governance structure and several meetings have been held as part of the formation of the project team, which consists of representatives from the Council’s Education, Commercial, Development & Infrastructure, Legal, Financial, Economic Development, IT and Health & Safety Services. The first Project Team and Strategic Board meetings have been scheduled during the first half of August, after which, these groups will continue to meet on a monthly basis, with diary dates confirmed for the remainder of the year.
The team are being supported by hub North Scotland ltd as part of their wider LEIP North Schools Programme. Mull Campus is one of 8 schools being delivered as part of the programme, co-ordinated by hub North. This is a collaborative partnership-based approach involving five local Councils in the North of Scotland, including two island Councils (Shetland and Orkney). It aims to reduce duplication, strengthen and share knowledge, leading to better quality buildings and more efficient and cost-effective project delivery.
Timescales
We are now mid-way in the project set up phase, and over the next month our newly formed project groups will start planning the community engagement and site appraisal & selection activities which are scheduled to run from September to December 2024. Project briefing, concept design and outline business case (OBC) development will take place during 2025 with the OBC being considered by the Council at the end of 2025. Approval of the OBC by the Council allows us to move to full business case in 2026.
Tobermory Campus works
We will continue to maintain the existing Tobermory Campus until a new campus is ready. The fencing at the Early Learning Centre is currently being replaced and this is due to be completed before the new term starts. Remedial works to the external fabric of the building are also underway and these will extend into the new term.
We hope our school staff, young people and their families are enjoying their summer break and will be in touch again around the commencement of the new term.
In the meantime, please feel free to email the Mull Campus inbox at mull.campus@argyll-bute.gov.uk if you have any queries or questions about the project or content of this update.
Update 1
At a full council meeting in April 2024, councillors agreed to develop an outline business case for the project. Work on this is progressing with the appointment of a project delivery team and an experienced project manager to oversee each stage.
Over the summer 2024, the Mull Campus Team will appoint specialist consultants to support the next stage and establish a project governance structure, including a dedicated Community Sounding Board to seek the views of key community representatives as the project moves forward.
In the Autumn the team plan to hold engagement sessions in a variety of locations across the area to seek the views of the local community on the new campus. They will also start the site selection process to find the most suitable location for the new facility. Local knowledge is key to this and members of the community are invited to highlight any sites that they feel may be suitable.