Learning Estate Investment Programme (LEIP) funding: FOI release
- Published
- 17 January 2025
- Directorate
- Learning Directorate
- Topic
- Education, Public sector
- FOI reference
- FOI/202400437541
- Date received
- 21 October 2024
- Date responded
- 13 December 2024
Information request and response under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.
Information requested
1) The documents suggesting that Argyll & Bute Council should make a bid for LEIP Funding. It is my understanding that the Scottish Government encouraged Argyll & Bute Council to make a bid for funding.
2) The above statement would suggest the time that the Council had to prepare the bid application may have been shorter than other participants in this process.
3) Please can you indicate when the 3rd round for LEIP funding opened and when the Council was contacted by Scottish Government. Please may I have copies of the relevant correspondence back and forth on this matter. In addition, please can you indicate the reasoning/provisions that preclude a community representative attending those meeting.
4) It has been indicated that Council Officers meet a representative of the LEIP team monthly. Please can you tell be how many meetings there has been and can you send me copies of the minutes please.
5) I know there are mostly likely other meetings with Hub North etc. I would like to see the minutes of these meeting too.
6) Please can you indicate if there is any flexibility within the LEIP process for islands other than re the construction costs, and in particular how sustainability of island life is considered before choosing a site. I ask because we are being engaged not consulted at this point, as I understand to select the site.
7) Where the High School is situated in particular is a KEY consideration for community members. If it is outwith Tobermory this could lead to statutory consultation and potentially a change to school catchment areas and closures. There is concern that the wrong sites could be selected for further consultation and the communities involved have scant information on which to base a decision. They would like data before committing to any decisions and some guarantees and reassurance. Please can you advise what data has been collated/impact assessments been undertaken.
8) Have any rural or islands impact assessents been undertaken? If not, when will these be undertaken and by whom? There have been concerns with how the Council has undertaken these in the past and thus their value/validity was criticised.
9) It has been indicated to me that only a small number of LEIP projects have been completed. Is there any reason to be concerned about this?
10) Is there any specialist support for communities going through this process. I ask as our decision is a very sensitive one and has the capacity to affect the socio-economic development of our island and depending on what site is chosen there could be a big impact on population, sustainability of island life, including growing population something that is the Scottish Government aim for islands. There is also the rite to family life and rites of the child – please can you explain how these will be accommodated as part of the project.
11) What are Scottish Plans for growing population on Mull is data available, if possible, can I see the projected figures.
12) I hope you understand we need answers and we need data etc. I believe we need independent help to resolve the site selection issue but my understanding is that the maximum funding to this the community can have to do this £500, is that correct?
13) “Scottish Futures Trust have communicated with Argyll and Bute Council on numerous occasions to discuss project scope and funding for the project. These meetings occurred between November 2023 and in advance of the Council Members Seminar in April 2024. At these meetings, the level of potential LEIP funding was discussed, and an indicative funding amount was provided. These discussions allowed the LA to take a decision on the viability of the project and proceed to development of the full business case – which is ongoing”. Please can I have a copy of the minutes of these meetings and of any discussions about the Councils concerns re financial affordability as indicated to the Scottish Futures Trust on the 21 February 2024 including a copy of the orrespondence.
Response
We have responded to each of your questions in turn.
However, while our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance we are unable to provide some of the information you have requested because an exemptions under section 38(1)(b) of FOISA applies to some of the information you have requested as it relates to personal data. This exemption is not subject to the ‘public interest test’, so we are not required to consider if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption
1) “The documents suggesting that Argyll & Bute Council should make a bid for LEIP Funding. It is my understanding that the Scottish Government encouraged Argyll & Bute Council to make a bid for funding”
Following an initial consultation period, all 32 local authorities were simultaneously and equally invited to submit a submission for Learning Estate Investment Programme (LEIP) Phase 3. Argyll and Bute Council were not encouraged to submit more than any other local authority.
I enclose a copy of the correspondence/documentation you requested within the Annex.
2) “The above statement would suggest the time that the Council had to prepare the bid application may have been shorter than other participants in this process.”
Following an initial consultation period, all 32 local authorities were simultaneously invited to submit a submission to LEIP Phase 3 to the same timescales.
Phase 3 invitation letters were issued to all local authorities on 1 July 2022, and Argyll and Bute Council’s submission was submitted on 28 October 2022. These documents are enclosed within the annex.
3) “Please can you indicate when the 3rd round for LEIP funding opened and when the Council was contacted by Scottish Government. Please may I have copies of the relevant correspondence back and forth on this matter. In addition, please can you indicate the reasoning/provisions that preclude a community representative attending those meeting.”
Following an initial consultation period, all 32 local authorities were simultaneously invited to submit a submission for LEIP Phase 3 on 1st July 2022. The relevant documentation is enclosed within the annex.
Local authorities determine how they consult with local communities and their representatives.
4) “It has been indicated that Council Officers meet a representative of the LEIP team monthly. Please can you tell be how many meetings there has been and can you send me copies of the minutes please.”
Scottish Government do not attend these meetings.
However, regular monthly meetings were established between Scottish Futures Trust (SFT) and Argyll and Bute Council regarding the Mull Campus project.
It is normal practice for SFT and local authorities to meet regularly for verbal updates on projects across the LEIP for their information - these are informal updates and no minutes are kept of these meetings. Although, formal updates are provided from local authorities as Project Update Forms, and are issued quarterly to SFT.
5) “I know there are mostly likely other meetings with Hub North etc. I would like to see the minutes of these meeting too.”
Scottish Government do not attend these meetings. If this information is required, we suggest contacting the Council.
6) “Please can you indicate if there is any flexibility within the LEIP process for islands other than re the construction costs, and in particular how sustainability of island life is considered before choosing a site. I ask because we are being engaged not consulted at this point, as I understand to select the site.”
Scottish Government have no involvement in site selection process as this is a Council responsibility.
7) “Where the High School is situated in particular is a KEY consideration for community members. If it is outwith Tobermory this could lead to statutory consultation and potentially a change to school catchment areas and closures. There is concern that the wrong sites could be selected for further consultation and the communities involved have scant information on which to base a decision. They would like data before committing to any decisions and some guarantees and reassurance. Please can you advise what data has been collated/impact assessments been undertaken.”
The Scottish Government do not hold the information you have requested. Local authorities have responsibilities under the Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010 to consult on significant changes to the provision of education in their area, including opening, closing and relocation of schools. Further information about these requirements and the process local authorities have to follow is available here -
School buildings - Schools - gov.scot (www.gov.scot).
8) “Have any rural or islands impact assessments been undertaken? If not, when will these be undertaken and by whom? There have been concerns with how the Council has undertaken these in the past and thus their value/validity was criticised.”
The Scottish Government do not hold the information you have requested. It would be for the Council to consider and undertake the necessary impact assessments.
9) “It has been indicated to me that only a small number of LEIP projects have been completed. Is there any reason to be concerned about this?”
9 LEIP projects have been completed, and 16 projects are currently on site. There is no reason to be concerned about the number of completed projects to date.
10) “Is there any specialist support for communities going through this process. I ask as our decision is a very sensitive one and has the capacity to affect the socio-economic development of our island and depending on what site is chosen there could be a big impact on population, sustainability of island life, including growing population something that is the Scottish Government aim for islands. There is also the rite to family life and rites of the child – please can you explain how these will be accommodated as part of the project.”
The Scottish Government do not hold the information you have requested. This would be for the Council to consider.
11) “What are Scottish Plans for growing population on Mull is data available, if possible, can I see the projected figures.”
The Addressing Depopulation Action Plan, published in February 2024, sets out the Scottish Government’s strategic approach to ensure our communities are sustainable now and into the future. We are clear that the publication of the Action Plan represents only the start of the first phase of this work.
As well as setting out the breadth of work already ongoing, our Action Plan puts forward a range of new and targeted place-based commitments in support of this work. These interventions will enable communities to develop their own bespoke responses in relation to depopulation, while also generating learning for communities across Scotland more broadly.
Also delivering on the National Islands Plan, the Plan provides the policy framework and actions we and partners will look to take, to enable population retention and repopulation across rural and island communities.
We have funded the Council to deliver two projects in the current financial year which respond to local challenges and opportunities in respect of population. Both of these projects, respectively through the Addressing Depopulation Fund and to continue part-funding a Community Settlement Officer, aim to support population attraction and retention within the local authority area. They have a focus on local priorities including housing and information provision to enable people to make a decision regarding moving to the local authority area.
For population projections, we would recommend making a request of National Records of Scotland, in the instance where the following public link does not provide the information you require:
https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/statistics-and-data/statistics/statistics-by-theme/population/populationprojections/sub-national-population-projections
In case of interest, we would also suggest looking at the following sub-local authority population projections generated by the Improvement Service using NRS data:https://www.improvementservice.org.uk/products-and-services/data-intelligence-andbenchmarking/sub-council-area-population-projections/sub-council-area-population-projections2
12) “I hope you understand we need answers and we need data etc. I believe we need independenthelp to resolve the site selection issue but my understanding is that the maximum funding to this thecommunity can have to do this £500, is that correct?”
You helpfully provided clarification in relation to this point. However, this would be an issue for the Council.
13) “Scottish Futures Trust have communicated with Argyll and Bute Council on numerous occasions to discuss project scope and funding for the project. These meetings occurred between November 2023 and in advance of the Council Members Seminar in April 2024. At these meetings, the level of potential LEIP funding was discussed, and an indicative funding amount was provided. These discussions allowed the LA to take a decision on the viability of the project and proceed to development of the full business case – which is ongoing”. Please can I have a copy of the minutes of these meetings and of any discussions about the Councils concerns re financial affordability as indicated to the Scottish Futures Trust on the 21 February 2024 including a copy of the correspondence.”
The Scottish Government do not hold the information you have requested. We would suggest requesting this information from the Council or Scottish Futures Trust.
About FOI
The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at https://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.
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Contact
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Central Correspondence Unit
Email: contactus@gov.scot
Phone: 0300 244 4000
The Scottish Government
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