A proposal to mothball a rural school in southern Scotland has been delayed, The Herald can reveal.
Local families have discovered that the plans for Dalry Secondary School, which were due to be considered by Dumfries and Galloway Council’s education committee in a matter of weeks, have now been removed from the meeting agenda.
However, campaigners say the lack of clarity and communication from the council has now created more confusion and anxiety in the community, and raised further concerns about the fairness and transparency of the processes being followed.
The Herald recently reported that a decision was due to be made on 14 March, despite local campaigners hitting out at the council’s handling of the situation and demanding that the vote be delayed.
In response, Dougie Campbell, a now independent councillor who was originally elected as an SNP candidate, submitted a motion calling for an “immediate moratorium on mothballing” and a new approach which recognises the “impact on the wider socio-economic prosperity of affected communities.”
Mr Campbell argued that “once a school is mothballed it won’t reopen” and insisted that “we need to understand the consequences for our rural communities” before going ahead with such proposals. His motion had been seconded by Cllr Andy McFarlane of the SNP.
Due to the impending vote on the future of Dalry Secondary School, Campbell’s motion was accepted on an emergency basis. It was due to be considered at a full council meeting this week and, if passed, could have prevented the council from moving ahead with plans to mothball any schools or other public facilities in the area.
