·¬ÇÑÊÓƵapp Council would like to thank everyone who attended the Mull Campus drop-in events to talk about what is important to them when considering potential sites for a new 2-18 campus on Mull. The campus is a replacement of the existing 2-18 school in Tobermory.
The events took place in various locations on Mull and Iona between the 17 and 25 September 2024 and attracted a large turnout. People also had the opportunity to give their views online until 4 October.
Talking afterwards, the council’s Policy Lead for Education, Councillor Audrey Forrest, said: “The events were very well attended and gave people the opportunity to have a chat with officers about the project and give us their views.
“It was great to hear feedback from parents, carers, pupils and other members of the local community and provided us with a real insight into what is important to them when it comes to potential locations for a new campus.â€
The cost of building the campus is estimated at £43 million. The council secured LEIP (Learning Estate Investment Programme) funding from the Scottish Government, which would provide up to 50% of eligible costs replacing the current Tobermory Campus on a ‘like for like’ basis. However, the council would have to provide the full funding up front. The costs of borrowing such a significant level of funding, as well as covering costs not eligible for LEIP support, could increase the demand on the council to as much as £113 million over the lifetime of the loans.
Councillors will consider the outline business case at the end of next year, and if approved a full business case will be developed, including detailed proposals for the campus and costs, in late 2026. Both business cases require councillor approval before the campus could move to a construction phase, which is provisionally forecast for 2027 with opening late 2028.
Councillor Forrest continued: “This is a very ambitious project and we remain optimistic. Over the next few weeks we will be going through all the feedback received at the drop-in events and we will make this public as soon as we can. In the meantime, you can sign up to receive Mull Campus updates.â€
Find out more information about the project, including what it will mean for education provision on Mull and the islands.