AN emergency meeting is to be held in a bid to save a closure-threatened outdoor centre on the banks of Loch Lomond.
The meeting has been called by a group of opposition councillors concerned that West Dunbartonshire Council is shutting the facility without considering the educational benefits to pupils.
Parents launched a campaign to save the Ardlui residential centre, at the northern end of the loch, after the council announced the move to shut it earlier this year as part of wider cost-cutting measures to address a £17 million budget deficit.
The council said the move would make savings of £110,000, but there was an immediate backlash with a Facebook campaign and petition which attracted 2000 signatures.
Critics argue the centre in Argyll and Bute provides pupils with a unique experience where skills which are highly prized such as teamwork and leadership can be honed. Amongst the activities on off are abseiling, archery, hill walking, mountain biking, orienteering, kayaking and rock climbing.
They are also angry the council refers to the centre as making a loss when they argue the money should be seen as legitimate funding of an educational service and, in addition, that the centre has met its income targets.
It has also been claimed the council has refused to give the full budget details to the centre's own manager John Hamilton.
However, the council argues the centre is costly to run and that there are cheaper ways to provide outdoor learning. Ardlui is already being marketed by the council for lease to public and private sector organisations.
A statement on the campaigners Facebook page states: "There is going to be an emergency meeting forced by the opposition councillors to question the Labour-led council, who have the majority, on the closure of the centre.
"To date, the opposition leader Jonathan McColl has been denied vital information in relation to this closure. If nothing else it will be an exercise in watching exactly how the administration have such disregard for the constituents of West Dunbartonshire."
A council spokesman said: "The loss-making Ardlui Outdoor Education Centre has been a drain on taxpayers' money in West Dunbartonshire with losses since 2010 of more than £1.5m. Those are the facts and that is why the council must stop running the centre.
"Pupils in West Dunbartonshire will still be able to access high-quality outdoor education from a number of other centres in the west of Scotland."
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