Council retains School Meals service at six primary schools

School kitchens at six primary schools in Argyll were down for closure in the struggle to balance Argyll and Bute Council’s budget in these hard times.

The Schools in question, with their respective roll numbers were:

• Glenbarr (Kintyre): 12 pupils
• Rhunahaorine (Kintyre): 10 pupils
• Skipness (Kintyre): 7 pupils
• Lismore (Isle of LIsmore): 0 pupils
• Kilchattan (Isle of Colonsay): 3 pupils
• Lochdonhead (Isle of Mull): 9 pupils

The Council has now decided not to implement the decision. Council Leader Dick Walsh says: ‘Although the Council voted to close these six school kitchens as part of the budget process, discussions have continued to try to identify alternative ways to balance the books and retain the Council Tax at the same rate as we agreed with the Scottish Government.

‘I am pleased to say that a solution has now been found which will allow the council to retain the school meals service in all of these six schools, and we hope to achieve these savings through the course of the year.

‘I know that many parents and our staff who work in the kitchens will be relieved at the outcome, and regret the circumstances which led to this decision and to the worry and upset that this has caused’.