Kilbowie outdoor centre closure agreed by North Lanarkshire Council

The residential facility, which provides outdoor education for Primary Seven groups, is to shut in 2020-2021.

Kilbowie outdoor centre is to shut next year after North Lanarkshire councillors narrowly voted for its closure at a tense meeting.

The Labour group’s motion to close the facility in Oban, which provides residential outdoor education experiences for Primary Seven pupils, was passed by just one vote at Friday’s policy and strategy committee meeting.

SNP councillors had voted to save the centre, while the Conservative group had sought guarantees of equivalent residential options being put in place for the area’s 3600 youngsters who attend courses at Kilbowie each year.

The administration group’s votes were sufficient to carry the proposal to phase out provision during the next school year and develop other options – with council leader Jim Logue suggesting that the authority could go on to build a similar residential centre closer to home at Strathclyde Park.

Addressing committee members at the Civic Centre meeeting, Councillor Logue said: “We wouldn’t be discussing this if not for the £30 million cut we’re facing.

“Every authority in Scotland is looking at their portfolio of properties – there’s broad recognition that keeping buildings open involves heating and cleaning costs, and it’s either buildings or job losses.

“There are financial, location, flexibility and sustainability challenges in keeping Kilbowie open; we’ve spent a fortune on it and there are still major defects which need to be tackled.

“If the SNP retain Kilbowie, they have to say where they’re going to find £780,000 – is it going to come from the education budget? They’ve been silent on the consequences of this choice.”

He added: “I think the time has come to have a change of attitude; we want to see first-class facilities to complement that residential programme” – later announcing to councillors: “It’s the aspiration of this administration to build a residential facility in Strathclyde Park, which I believe cam be programmed and financed through community investment.”

SNP group deputy leader Jordan Linden led the opposition to the closure, saying: “We shouldn’t have to fight for the future of Kilbowie when it’s placed on the chopping block at budget time.

“The SNP group faces the same budget challenge but we aren’t closing Kilbowie – not today and not in our budget; and we’ll tell you how we’re going to pay for it on budget day.

“We can’t back any plans to close a much-loved facility on the basis of half-baked ideas; children are entitled to experience learning and new challenges in an outdoor environment and there’s a clear educational rationale for keeping Kilbowie. The report doesn’t provide sufficient detail on alternatives.”

He added: “I know what Kilbowie means to local people and their views and opinions matter – consulting young people and parents, they describe it as a life-changing experience, and it delivers an enhanced learning opportunity.

“My remarks will be the tip of icebeg from the sea of people of North Lanakrshire about what Kilbowie means to them, and I want to serve for those voices; we can unite behind this important facility and listen to our children and young people by saving Kilbowie.”

Conservative group leader Meghan Gallacher suggested a proposal which would have seen the centre close only if guaranteed alternative residential experiences, including subsidies to cover some of the cost per pupil, was put in place.

She said: “Young people appreciate the skills and memories which they cherish forever; but it’s a building which is 100 miles away – we need to look at this differently and there’s a solution.

“Reaching out to parents about whether it’s the building or the experience about Kilbowie, what came back is that it’s the residential experience.

“The council can’t sustain the cost while making cuts but we don’t want to close the door on P7 pupils. Bricks and mortar can go but the council should guarantee an alternative residential, and there are more than 30 in easy travelling distance.”

Closing the centre, as proposed by the Labour administration, received 11 votes while the SNP’s plan to retain the centre received 11 and the Conservative amendment three.

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A spokesperson for North Lanarkshire Council said: “The council is fully committed to continuing to provide our pupils with quality outdoor residential education opportunities.

“While we recognise Kilbowie provides great experiences for our pupils, the facility is expensive to maintain and reductions to our revenue budget mean that levels of subsidy provided by the council for pupils to attend is no longer sustainable.

“In addition, because of the necessity to allocate groups to specific weeks due to travel time and cost, some groups of children can have their activities curtailed by weather conditions.

“We have ambitious plans to develop our own local assets for the benefit of children in our area.”