Construction of a new school and community campus on Mull has been identified as a council priority and consultation was undertaken in 2022. The question is: how to fund it.
A full meeting of Argyll & Bute Council this week approved work to continue on the outline business case after considering the potential costs and benefits.
The cost of building the campus is estimated at £43m. The council secured Learning Estate Investment Programme (LEIP) funding from the Scottish government to provide up to 50% of eligible costs. However, the council would have to provide the full funding up front. The costs of borrowing, as well as covering costs not eligible for LEIP support, could increase the demand on the council to as much as £113m over the lifetime of the loans, the council heard.
The council said that investment on this scale would be expected to deliver economic and regeneration benefits, as well as educational benefits, and act as an anchor development, attracting other inward investment. A campus would also be expected to be a wider attraction for families wishing to stay on, or relocate to the island and so support Argyll & Bute’s need to grow its population.
The population of Mull is approximately 3,000.
The full business case, including more detailed proposals for the campus and costs, will be considered again by councillors in late 2026, and at other significant milestones, before the campus could move to a construction phase which is provisionally forecast for 2027 with opening late 2028.
Councillor Audrey Forrest, policy lead for education, said: “We would like to deliver a campus for Mull. There’s no question about that. It has the potential to deliver important benefits for our young people, the island and wider area. At the same time however we have to be realistic about what is possible.
“Our decision today is about remaining ambitious for Argyll and Bute, and doing what we can as a council to deliver what communities want.
“While more difficult decisions lie ahead, this is an exciting next step towards a campus for Mull.”
