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IN a game of two halves, the long-running saga of the former Lochgilphead High School and sports centre site was played out in public last Wednesday, February 29.
From council discussions last year, the land the buildings sit on looked to be going to Fyne Homes if their plans were acceptable – tying in the purchase with their development of the former Mid Argyll Hospital site next door – in an attempt to meet social housing needs and put some money back in the bank.
However, some in Lochgilphead felt they should have a say in the matter, applying pressure in the right places to ensure a public meeting was held to discuss the community’s views.
On Wednesday, each side got their chance.
Fyne Homes started things off with a presentation of their proposals for the site in Lochgilphead Community Centre in the afternoon. This took the form of a map of the plans, some artist’s impressions of the site and a chance to ask questions of those involved.
Many seemed surprised by the look of the tree-lined roads and everyone was intrigued by the landmark tower which stood proudly over the site. The tower would be situated near the current technical block and be five to seven storeys high. A Fyne Homes representative said: ‘It’s an aesthetic thing. We wanted something you could look at from a distance.’
The tower would contain 14 flats out of the 69 properties the site would hold in total. The rest of the properties would be made up of seven detached houses, 12 semi-detached and 36 terraced houses including a long, sweeping terrace curving round the south- west corner of the current pitch.
Five plots would be sold outright on the left at the entrance to the site. The remaining houses would be divided into approximately 50 for rent and 20 as part of the Homestake scheme. This allows the owner to buy a proportion of the house and get the same percentage back on sale. The housing association is given first refusal on buying it back, thus keeping the properties within a reasonable price bracket.
There were some complaints to be heard at the presentation, many of which were misdirected at Fyne Homes who were just ‘doing what we do’ as their representative put it. However, there was also mention of the lack of playing space for children in their plans, a more substantive point for a new housing development.
Behind the site is a big field where a playing area could go. Or, as suggested later, maybe this is where the houses could go, for those who wish to retain the buildings have suggested an alternative which, they say, could keep both sides happy. The feasibility of this wasn’t really discussed at the public meeting later that evening, but there was certainly plenty of debate.
The second half took place at the new Lochgilphead Joint Campus at 7pm in the form of a public meeting hosted by Argyll and Bute Council.
The three local councillors were present to absorb information but to offer no comment on a subject to be discussed at next month’s Council Executive meeting. Council heads of service and Community Health Partnership (CHP) Locality Manager John Dreghorn made up the rest of the panel being quizzed and criticised by a 150-strong crowd.
Head of Community Services Douglas Hendry started proceedings by giving some background to the situation. He explained that it was decided that the sports centre should be retained at the same place as the school and that capital receipts (selling the old one) were taken into account when financing the new school. He said that it had been checked with lawyers whether it was acceptable, given the housing needs in the area, to pursue the disposal of the site to Fyne Homes and they were given the green light. He also noted that Kilmory Home Farm, if successful, could result in a net increase of facilities in Argyll and Bute. He later confirmed that the Council would continue to support this project.
Sandy McTaggart, Head of Facilities Services, gave a frank account of where we stood. He noted that the old sports centre was not DDA compliant and was joined on to the school’s boiler and electricity supply. He added: ‘There’s no scope to run a second service along with this one here. There’s also no capital funding available.’
John Dreghorn gave the listeners something else to think about, bringing up the possibility of developing a care home for the elderly on an adjoining site, owned by the NHS. He said that access could be an issue depending on how the high school site is used. It is to be assumed that this proposal fits in with Fyne Homes’ plans.
He highlighted that this was a serious issue with insufficient care services at present and that number likely to go up dramatically over the next decade. The proposed unit would come under the heading of ‘single care’, a mixture of nursing and enhanced residential care.
