Hostel closure confusion
The end of the school term was characterised by confusion and uncertainty for the Dunoon Grammar pupils who stay in the school hostel.
As the students - who live in the Lochgoilhead and Tighnabruaich areas - packed their belongings at the end of term last week, they were told that they would not be returning to the hostel after the holidays as it would be closing immediately.
The pupils - who were about to leave for a trip to the pantomime - were shocked and upset, with many in tears. Parents were equally surprised to receive the news.
The issue of the hostel closure came to the fore in late September when parents received a letter from Argyll and Bute Council stating that the facility would have to close for up to a year to undertake a £1.2m refurbishment programme, including works relating to compliance with fire safety regulations.
At public meetings held in both affected communities, councillors and officials were left in no doubt of the depth of feeling about the retention of the hostel facility amongst parents and pupils. The need for alternative accommodation, to avoid daily bus journeys which would make the children’s day extremely long and prohibit participation in extra curricular activities, was made clear.
In a statement published in the Observer on October 5, the council said: “The position as presented by the council was to keep the hostel open until June 2008…This position was not acceptable to Strathclyde Fire and Rescue who initially indicated that they required closure within 28 days. After discussion [it was decided] to allow the hostel to remain open until December 21 on the basis that some initial building works were carried out within 28 days and additional fire precautions implemented.”
However, it appears that both Argyll and Bute Council and the families had hopes that these works would enable the hostel to remain open until the end of the summer term - and thus reacted with shock and disappointment upon realising that closure was immediate.
A council spokesperson said: “Despite the works that had been carried out at Dunoon Grammar School Hostel, and additional negotiations to try and keep the hostel open until June 2008, we are extremely disappointed that Strathclyde Fire and Rescue did not see fit to agree that the facility should remain open.”
The spokesperson advised that Argyll and Bute Council had commissioned an independent inspection which confirmed that the works done were in compliance.
Head of Community Safety for Strathclyde Fire and Rescue, Group Commander David Penman, said: “The council asked in November if the hostel could remain open for an extended period.
“Following correspondence between Strathclyde Fire and Rescue and the council, it was agreed that if there were significant changes at the hostel between November 7 and December 21, there was a possibility that this could be reconsidered.
“Further inspection revealed that there were not significant changes. Based on all the information - from both ourselves and from a health and safety risk assessment - and looking holistically at the situation, the conditions at the hostel were not considered to be safe.”
Mr Penman added: “Our primary concern is the safety of the students, the staff and also our own personnel. The hostel construction is such that in the event of a fire, spread would be extremely rapid and the possibility of structural collapse would be great.
“All this information has been explained to the council. We have visited the hostel to carry out weekly inspections and the decision is not just a kneejerk reaction.”
The school term recommences on January 7 and parents have been advised that students will have to travel daily for a couple of weeks until an alternative answer is found.
Parents have asked for some factors to be taken into consideration, such as early gritting of the roads before the buses leave; use of community vehicles which already have seatbelts fitted and specially trained drivers; and avoiding use of service buses.
The council’s spokesperson has confirmed that it will meet with the Care Commission on January 8 to discuss some options for alternative accommodation that it is currently considering, saying: “We are really working hard to finalise this issue and want to find a solution as soon as possible.
“It is not in anyone’s interests to have the children travelling by road every day.”


Union members vote for industrial action over Single Status
As one of the major unions representing workers in Argyll and Bute Council announced a ballot result in favour of industrial action, the council confirmed that more than 94percent of staff have accepted revised contracts under the Single Status arrangements.
Unison, which represents around 1800 members in the council, announced the results shortly after the ballot closed last Friday.
Around 38percent of local Unison branch members voted, with two particular questions on the ballot paper - to strike, or to take action short of a strike.
Of those voting, 68 percent voted ‘yes’ to action short of a strike, while on the separate question of strike action, 59 percent voted in favour.
Unison representatives have communicated the ballot results to Argyll and Bute Council’s Chief Executive, and the union has called upon the council to enter into ‘meaningful negotiations’ and to ‘abandon the road of imposition of their Single Status proposals’.
A statement from the Argyll and Bute Unison branch said: “A further statement will be issued in the near future outlining the way forward in relation to promoting industrial action, should the council fail to seek a negotiated conclusion.
“Industrial action is clearly a last resort and if required will be wide and varied, looking at new concepts. Unison is aware that our colleague trade unions are also involved in ballots of their membership and we look forward to them returning similar ‘yes’ votes emphasising the position that our members have taken.”
The council heard last week at a meeting of the Executive that, 94.3 percent of employees had accepted new contracts under the Single Status provisions at that point in time.
In a change in stance in recent weeks, Unison issued a revised recommendation to members to sign new contracts in order to preserve employment benefits, pending the results of the recent ballot. The union had previously recommended to members to reject the revised contracts.
Argyll and Bute Council said last week that it will be writing in January to all those who have not accepted new contracts of employment with a further opportunity to accept the new conditions.


Innellan goes for a ne’erday dook
A mad bunch of hardy adults are all ready to take to the water at Sandy Beach, Innellan at 1.30pm on January 1 to raise money for Innellan and Toward Family Centre. They have all been busy chasing sponsors and hope to raise over £500 to support the work of Sunbeams Nursery, Innellan and Toward After School Club and the Family Centre Toddler Group.
Ann Campbell, Operations Manager said: “If you want to see some strange sights, then Sandy Beach is the place to be on New Year’s Day. Quite a few of our volunteer dookers are going to brave the water in fancy dress. We even have some promising to wear bikinis, but that’s just the men. We hope that this could be the first of many Ne’erday Dooks for Cowal, and we look forward to having a decent crowd there to cheer us on.”
All adults are welcome to join in the fun on the day for a small donation (£5) and families can come along and watch the fun. Those taking the plunge will be rewarded with hot soup and a wee dram at Innellan Village Hall afterwards to help revive their spirits.
Any local businesses, bars and restaurants that would like to sponsor the event or provide some prizes can still do so by contacting Ann on 01369 830100 or emailing ITFCAS@aol.com.


‘Over the hill’ road closed
Signs have been placed on the A815 near Cot House advising that the Blairmore to Whistlefield road has been closed.
The unclassified Glen Finart road - popularly known as “over the hill” - is most often used for recreational purposes, affording excellent views over Loch Eck.
However, in the event of the main A815 Loch Eck road being closed due to flooding, fallen trees or a serious accident, the scenic pleasure trip becomes a potentially vital alternative route.
A spokesperson for Argyll and Bute Council confirmed that a temporary order has been issued to permit closure of the road for safety reasons related to timber extraction from the surrounding hillsides. The road will be closed between 9am and 5pm Monday to Friday.
The council gave assurances that the terms of the order permit reopening should the road be required as an alternative in the event of the sudden closure of the A815.
The closure order lasts until January 31, after which the road is expected to reopen as normal.