Hopes that Ardroy outdoor education centre could be saved have been sunk by Fife Council.
The local authority issued its strongest message yet that it simply cannot afford to keep the centre in Argyll open.
Councillor Brian Goodall and Councillor Donald Macgregor, chair and vice-chairman respectively of the housing and communities committee, issued a joint statement making clear the council’s intention to close Ardroy and invest in Lochore Meadows.
They said, “The closure of Ardroy would allow us to look at investing more into the outdoor learning programmes that are already delivered by the council here in Fife at Lochore Meadows Country Park, where the facilities and activities on offer are already popular with a good number of Fife primary and secondary schools, in part because they’re accessible and affordable.
“Outdoor learning is a key component of the new Curriculum for Excellence and being able to offer an enhanced range of outdoor learning activities at Lochore Meadows is an attractive proposition and one which could ensure a lasting legacy for Ardroy.”
Although on the opposite coast of Scotland, Ardroy is run by the council and for the past 40 years has been offering Fifers training in outdoor pursuits including mountaineering, canoeing and kayaking.
A campaign has been launched to change the council’s mind on the closure. By yesterday, a Save Ardroy Outdoor Centre from Closure Facebook page had gained 4121 followers and there is also a dedicated website.
However, with the council facing £120 million in cuts over the next four years, it looks unlikely the campaign will succeed.
Mr Goodall and Mr Macgregor said, “We understand and share the strong emotional attachment that many have to ArdroyCompeting priorities”However, we also have to recognise that the facility is in desperate need of significant capital investment and that this is extremely difficult for the council to deliver in the current financial climate particularly at a time when there are many competing priorities and the council’s funding is being reduced.
“Whilst we’re keen to ensure that as many of Fife’s primary schools as possible offer their P7 pupils a chance to experience residential outdoor learning, it’s not mandatory and the decision to participate ultimately rests with head teachers and parents.
“Of those schools that do participate some choose to use Ardroy, but a good number of Fife schools already go elsewhere and use other private, public or third-sector providers, of which there are a considerable number in Scotland.
“The reality is that if the council does decide to close Ardroy, all of Fife’s primary schools would still be able to access quality, affordable residential outdoor learning opportunities.
“There has been no rushed judgment in reaching this position. Every effort has been made in recent years to address the funding issues affecting Ardroy and to look at all other alternatives to closing the centre.”
Labour councillor David Ross, the party’s spokesman on housing and communities, said, “I have been contacted by many people including parents, teachers, and young people themselves, giving good reasons why we should keep the centre open.
“I can confirm that Labour councillors will oppose the closure of Ardroy if this is proposed.
“The opportunities and benefits provided at Ardroy are held in high regard by generations of Fifers, as the many emails and letters in support of the centre testify.
“It may be possible for the council to provide an alternative provision of the same or higher standard in the future, but until a satisfactory and acceptable alternative has been worked up in detail and widely consulted upon, it would be premature to close Ardroy.”
The decision on Ardroy will be confirmed at the budget meeting on February 10.