An update paper on Tobermory Campus will be presented to the 28 August Community Services Committee outlining the implications of the judicial review, which has been commenced, and its impact on the project programme. 

Argyll and Bute Council plans to contest the judicial review at a hearing due to take place in October, with a final outcome expected by the end of the year.

The local authority has been committed to building a new modern campus on the island since 2022. Earlier this year, councillors agreed on the Tobermory South site as the preferred location for the £43 million campus, offering multiple benefits with minimal disruption to current education and travel routines.

The judicial review is now seeking that the decisions made so far be reviewed. 

Councillor Audrey Forrest, policy lead for education, said: “The reason that we have been continuously supportive of the new campus on Mull is that we firmly believe that a new building will be significantly more efficient in providing the best setting for the education of our young people on the Isle of Mull - for those in education just now, and for those who will follow in the years to come.

“Whilst the affordability of the project is hanging in the balance, I am hopeful that we will be able to continue to put the needs of our children and young people who deserve the best we can give them, at the heart of all we do in education.”

Councillor Ross Moreland, policy lead for finance and commercial services, added: “Our commitment remains to do our best for children and young people on Mull, both now and in the future.  We recently heard their positive feedback and enthusiasm for a new campus at workshops held in the school. It’s a shame, therefore, that we face delay in building their new campus, as we rightly contest the judicial review that has been brought against the council. 

“It’s no secret that the council is already facing significant financial challenges with year-on-year budget cuts, as we continue to deliver vital services to our communities. The impact of the judicial review sadly comes with further financial challenges and time delays that ultimately risk our ability to deliver a new campus. We simply cannot afford to do everything our communities would love us to do, or build multiple schools. It would be great if we could, but we face a harsh reality. There is no additional funding for this project; we have to use what we have.

“We are now in the position where we face a lengthy review that comes with additional costs. These costs will all come from the overall project fund. We will robustly contest the review but face a real possibility that the project to build a new campus is at a fragile point and decisions may need to be made longer term.”