Dumfries learning hub land lease endorsement agreed

Councillors endorsed a long lease for a "nominal fee" for the site

Councillors have endorsed the lease of an area of Dumfries land to a community company to provide a new "learning hub" for the town.

The deal involves a section of the King George V sports complex.

The development is part of the multi-million pound Dumfries Learning Town project to overhaul education.

Councillors were being asked to support the lease of a section of common good land to a community company in order to take the scheme forward.

A report said it was important the project was not delivered on the "traditional school model".

It said it would allow the service to "promote and co-ordinate learning in a unique and collaborative way" as well as attract sources of funding which a council could not access.

It concluded that a community company with charitable status would be the best way to deliver the scheme.

'Considerable' benefits

The report stressed that the council's use of the facility for school children would be secured by way of a "legally binding agreement".

It advised the Dumfries common good sub-committee to agree to the "long lease" of the land at a "nominal rent".

The land involved is not currently used and councillors have been told that the benefits of building the learning hub would be "considerable".

Councillor Jeff Leaver, who chairs the council's education committee, said: "Providing the best start in life for all our children is a priority for our council.

"We're currently making excellent progress on a range of exciting initiatives that will enable us to deliver on this priority.

"Dumfries Learning Town is key to this as we strive to deliver a first class learning environment for all young learners.

"This positive decision will enable our council to progress the DLT project, which will offer the very best educational opportunities to our young people in state of the art facilities."