Members of a Moray Council committee were not told a nursery would have to close for refurbishment.
One councillor on the education, children’s and leisure services committee claimed they were “having the wool pulled over (their) eyes”.
Members for Speyside Glenlivet Juli Harris and Derek Ross both raised concerns they had not been informed of the intention to move nursery children at Aberlour Primary out of their accommodation to allow for a £900,000 refurbishment.
The project is part of the council’s expansion of the early years service to provide 1,140 hours of childcare for three to five-year-olds and eligible two-year-olds which is £3.3 million over budget.
Children who go to Aberlour and Craigellachie Pre School Nursery will be accommodated in a temporary building, while those attending the local authority nursery will be held at an outdoor learning space.
The move is expected to start after next year’s Easter holidays. Children will return to the refurbished nursery space when work is completed in October.
But neither councillor had been told about the plan by officers to decant the children. They only found out when constituents contacted them looking for more information.
Ms Harris said: “Given this is a major refurbishment project in Aberlour, I’m surprised there wasn’t some kind of briefing for councillors about what’s actually happening.
Councillors unaware until constituents made contact
“I felt quite unprepared for the amount of information I was going to be expected to provide.
“We could have benefited from a briefing so that we would be better able to answer the questions of our constituents.”
Mr Ross asked for communication between officers and elected members to be improved.
He said: “Until two constituents phoned me who had been at a meeting at Aberlour Primary School, I knew nothing of the proposals and plans for the decanting of the nursery at Aberlour for six months.
“We cannot be in a situation where we’re finding out things from constituents that we know nothing whatsoever about.
“This is not a way forward for this council. It seems as if somehow we’re having the wool pulled over our eyes on this.
“It puts us in an invidious position within our wards – all of us here – when we don’t have all the information.”
Apologies for lack of communication
Early years service manager Hazel Sly apologised for the lack of communication and agreed information should have gone out to members
She said: “The intention is to not at all pull the wool over members’ eyes.”
Depute chief executive for education, communities and organisational development Denise Whitworth also apologised.
She said: “I’m happy to take that on board and we’ll make sure local members are briefed on future projects so you’re kept up to speed with what’s happening.”
The rest of the debate on the infrastructure works for the expansion for the early years service was held in private
While most of the projects have been completed, as well as Aberlour, work at Kinloss Primary, Findochty Primary, Portgordon Primary, St Peter’s Primary in Buckie and Rothes Primary is still to be finished.
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