OUT of hours use of a Peeblesshire primary school’s facilities has been given the green light.

The Peeblesshire News previously reported a row over the use of West Linton’s new £9million school outwith normal hours.

At that earlier meeting, community councillor, Anne McKenzie, described how a social event was cancelled because the school were unable to provide caretaker cover.

West Linton Community Council invited Tristan Compton, the school’s parent council chairman, to speak at their meeting last month.

He confirmed that Scottish Borders Council is keen to see the community making use of the school.

Mr Compton explained a community management group of around six people would need to be set up to administer usage. In addition there would have to be janitorial or caretakers paid extra time by the local authority to secure the premises.

“It is up to us as a community to get the organisation in place,” said Mr Compton, adding: “We would be looking for use anytime after 5pm on weekdays, at weekends, holidays or anytime the school is not operational as a school.” Mr Compton told how he and Anne McKenzie had attended a meeting with the community development officer from Philiphaugh in Selkirk.

“At Philiphaugh, they have been running a community school with access out of hours for 20 years and it is successful,” Mr Compton said. There are two challenges for us ensuring janitorial cover and setting up the management group.” Mr Compton discussed how the use would be funded, he said: “SBC sets upper and lower limits for which fees can be charged for example; sportshall usage, the management group can then charge a fee for usage between these limits.

The management group constitution would say fees which are collected would go back to the community or might be used to buy a piece of equipment perhaps for the school.” Mr Compton told the meeting that at one point Philiphaugh Community Management group had built up a balance of £20,000.

In Selkirk he said that the school is used most nights and it takes four caretakers to cover the hours required. He did warn though that SBC had additional resources for Selkirk that might not be so easy to obtain in Tweeddale.

Community Council secretary Graham Tulloch said: “This outcome has vindicated what the head teacher has said, let’s hope that it can all work out for the best and that the headteacher is resourced to let it happen.”