Gill Gracie summarises the recent meeting: 

Janette provided a brief summary of the last 6 months of negotiations with Tweed Homes.  There is an ongoing legal dispute re the Deanfoot Road site between the previous landowner and the developer (Tweed Homes).  There appears to be little hope of a speedy conclusion to this – and not a huge amount that Janette - or we - can do to influence it.

 

Janette has recently updated the Kirk Session on the situation – they have asked her to come back to them once realistic alternatives have been reviewed and there is a credible revised timetable for a move to new premises.  They will review their position on the extension to Janette’s lease at that stage.

 

The really good news is that – as of this week – SBC has moved a significant way towards a commitment to sell Janette a plot for a nursery building on the site earmarked for the new school:

 

·       On 1st March, Catriona Bhatia met Glenn Rodger (SBC Director of Education) and Steven Renwick (SBC Programme Manager) to review plans for West Linton’s new school. 

·       Draft designs for the new school have now been shortlisted by the council’s project team – Stephen Renwick will be attending Community Council meeting on Monday 8th March to discuss these.  Further consultation with school and community interest groups will follow. 

·       Each of the draft designs has land designated for a new nursery building on the old Tag Hut site (same plot previously offered to the Village Nursery in 2009 on a short-term lease basis)

·       At Catriona’s meeting with Glenn Rodger this week, it was agreed that the outright sale of the 0.1 Hectare plot to the Village Nursery would be a preferable option from the Council’s perspective to a long-term lease to the nursery– money raised through the sale of the land will help to cover cost of new school build.

·       SBC’s Estates Department have been briefed to set the wheels in motion to value the land and put together a proposal for consideration. 

·       One of the most urgent next tasks is to work with the Council’s Estates team to clarify the likely timeframe for land purchase, planning and a new build so that Janette can approach the Kirk Session with a clear project plan.  We’re hoping that, to some extent, the land purchase process and the planning process can run in tandem to save time, but we need to understand what’s feasible and realistic as soon as possible.

·       How and when the final decision re the sale of the land will be reached by SBC is not 100% clear at the moment, but whatever happens, it’s important that we re-establish contact with local councillors, community council and other community interest groups to build support for the proposal.