Argyllshire Advertiser From our Files - 15.3.24

TWENTY YEARS AGO

Friday March 19, 2004

Town in line for brand-new school

Communities throughout Argyll are being asked to choose between having brand new schools, many on new campuses shared with other schools, or keeping existing schools where they are and facing an ever-increasing backlog of repairs.

Councillor Dick Walsh, Argyll and Bute Council’s education spokesman, said: ‘There are decisions the community will have to face. We will listen to people - we don’t have a monopoly in wisdom - but this is not a pick and mix. By and large it has to be looked at in the round.’ 

The radical plans, billed by Argyll and Bute Council as ‘innovative’ and ‘a once in a lifetime opportunity’ would see Roman Catholic and non-denominational primary schools, primary and secondary schools or a combination of all three co-exist on 17 purpose-built campuses and share facilities including assembly sports halls and cafeterias on a timetable.

Under these proposals, Lochgilphead High and Primary School would share a campus located on what is currently open land between the houses at Ross Crescent and the proposed sports complex at Kilmory.

Land and buildings left behind after the new schools are built could be used for other council purposes, demolished or sold off as surplus. 

The council was adamant the land would not be transferred into the hands of its private partners.

The plans, unveiled by the council and its preferred private bidder, Precept Consortium, go well beyond the brief for the local authority’s non-profit distributing public private partnership project (NPDO) contract, which was to rebuild Hermitage Academy, Helensburgh, and Dunoon Grammar School and extensively refurbish 26 more of Argyll and Bute’s 92 schools.

Mike Geraghty, head of capital funding projects, said: ‘We said we would welcome innovation and fresh ideas and they have brought them forward.’

Two bidders met the council’s overall requirements: Schools for the Community (SFTC), which was named as the reserve bidder, and Precept. Mr Geraghty explained that the bids were very different in how they were presented as well as the overall solution’, but neither met affordability targets.

That is why Precept remains only the ‘provisional’ preferred bidder; because there is a financial shortfall, despite the council’s commitment and the Scottish Executive’s promise of £5.73 million, ring-fenced, every year for the 30 year term of the project, a total of £171 million.

FORTY YEARS AGO

Friday March 16, 1984

Time bomb in the archives

Usually, Argyll and Bute District Council’s archivist, Mr Murdo McDonald, is only too keen to receive old records and documents. 

However, this week he acted completely out of character and broke the habit of a lifetime and gave away an item from the archives and... heaved a sigh of relief!

For, he literally had a time bomb ticking away in the council’s treasure-trove of irreplaceable documents. 

Because, hidden in the archives was a British Paramount news film of the granting of the Freedom of the Royal Burgh of Rothesay to Edward, Prince of Wales and Duke of Rothesay (who later became Duke of Windsor) on June 17, 1933.

Hardly anything to set the heather on fire you would think. But the film, as was the style in those days, was made of nitrate and as it ages it becomes an unstable explosive which will eventually ignite spontaneously.

However, there was no need to alert the bomb squad as a quick call to the Scottish Film Archive in Glasgow soon defused the potential explosive situation. They are now in possession of the delayed-action film and everything is now reported as under control.

The film will be given specialist treatment and a non-exploding version will be made for local interest.

A relieved Murdo MacDonald, who almost had the last word to say on this, commented, ‘I’m glad this burning issue is over. Now I know how it feels to play mine-host, I certainly wouldn’t do it for a living because I could really have put myself in the picture.’

SIXTY YEARS AGO

Tuesday March 17, 1964

Town could be flooded reservoir danger at Lochgilphead

Lochgilphead could well be endangered by flood in 20 years’ time if immediate action is not taken to drain two reservoirs which stand above the town, warned Provost Dugald MacBrayne last week.

Expressing his concern, Provost MacBrayne said that after a heavy rainfall, the level of the reservoirs - Drim and Blarbuie - which are no longer in use, rose quite appreciably but did not drain away to the same extent afterwards.

The reservoirs supplied the burgh’s water supply until two years ago when the county council took over the provision of the supply from Ardrishaig. 

‘What worries me,’ said Provost MacBrayne, who is acting convener of the water committee, ‘is that perhaps in 20 years’ time, with the reservoirs filling up faster than they drain, they might give way.’

He added that the water inspector was of the opinion that at Blarbuie reservoir there was a trapdoor which was jammed at the sluice-gate.

‘If this could be opened, the water could run through and into the burn leading to Lochgilphead.’

A dramatic but nevertheless serious remedy to the problem at Blarbuie was suggested by Bailie Philip A. Lear, who - recommended blowing-up the affected portion of the sluice-gate.

When several members chuckled in the belief that he was making jocular reference to the use of explosives, Bailie Lear said that he had never been more serious.

‘In fact I am sure the Army would be only too willing to do it for us,’ he’ claimed.

One councillor, whose house stands directly below Drim reservoir which lies several hundred yards from the uppermost reaches of the town, was Hon. Treasurer Dr. A. I. McCallum.

‘Speaking as a property-owner in direct line of the prospective flood, I thought this reservoir had been emptied. If not, we will have to divert the water.’

Support for the blowing-up theory of Bailie Lear came from Councillor W. H. E. Gillebertus, who said he thought it quite feasible to breach the sluice-gate in this manner.

When the clerk reported that no word had been received from Argyll Hospitals Board who had been asked if they were interested in a supply from Blarbuie reservoir, Dean of Guild MacKellar suggested that the county council might be interested in a supply from Drim reservoir in connection with the new school.