At the Comhairle nan Eilean Siar September/October committee series, the Education committee contemplated the benefits of a Multi-Use Games Area (NUGA) facility in the Stornoway Primary.
Two options were cited:
1) MUGA (18m x 37m) costing £200,000
2) Synthetic (60m x 40m) costing £300,000
The committee discussed the options and agreement was made to note the report with the potential of this subject matter coming back in the December series.
Councillor Gordon Murray noted after the meeting that were the council to approve option 2) through prudential borrowing, the cost would be £24,000 per year for 20 years.
The SNP group looked into the different funding options with the view to putting an amendment to the Policy and resources committee.
It was felt that a potential saving could be found from the mainland travel budget which stands at £170,000 per year and were it to be cut by £24,000 per year this would not only pay for a synthetic service that would help the primary schoolchildren, the new pre-schoolers accommodated at the Early years Centre, but also the surrounding community which will undergo rapid growth with the development in Perceval Road. This would also help reduce our carbon footprint and show our schoolchildren that we did listen to their demonstration a number of weeks ago.
However, the amendment was deemed not legally competent and disallowed by council leader Roddie Mackay despite being put in before the meeting.
Assurances have been given for the December meeting and the SNP Group are delighted the playing areas round the school estates are being brought to committee and hope consideration will be given to the Stornoway primary given the size of the school and the growth with the Early Years Centre and surrounding residential population.
A journal written by the SNP opposition group on the Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (Western Isles Council).
