Proposed Modernisation of Marr College

Proposed Modernisation of Marr College

Further to my post on 16.11.2012 I did some digging and found an information sheet from South Ayrshire Council that confirms that they are indeed in negotiations to buy the Marr College school buildings and grounds from Marr Trust.

Reward for incompetence

Thus South Ayrshire Council are indeed going to to be entirely entrusted with maintaining the Marr College buildings and grounds in future when they have proved themselves time and time again completely incompetent even when they had Marr Trust to oversee them.

Please see the document below which can also be found on the school website at... http://www.marr.sayr.sch.uk/

Proposed Modernisation of Marr College

Information Sheet

In July of this year the Council submitted a bid to the Scottish Government’s Schools for the Future Programme to modernise Marr College and I am pleased to inform you that this bid was successful.  Key to the success of the bid was the way in which the Council engaged and involved staff, the parents, pupils and the wider community in the development of the future strategy for secondary education in Troon. As such the project is considered in a state of readiness to be taken forward.

It is envisaged that the project will deliver state of the art learning and teaching facilities which will revolve around the modernisation of the original Marr College building and the provision of new learning and teaching accommodation within the grounds of Marr school site.  Accommodation will be available for the community to use and the creation of a museum area to display the many artefacts that have been gifted to the school over the years including those from C.K. Marr.

The external areas will be developed to create exciting and pleasant areas that encourage social interaction and the delivery of outdoor learning. Important features of the project will be the provision of enhanced sports facilities including an all-weather pitch which will be located in the grounds of the current Marr Playing Fields.  

The project will be delivered in partnership with the private sector through South West Hub which has recently been established by the Scottish Futures Trust, overseeing the Schools for the Future programme.

Following the announcement of the funding by the Scottish Government, the Council are now entering into formal discussions with the Marr Trust regarding the acquisition of the Marr College site and the potential for relocating the Marr Resource Centre into the new facility.

Written notification has still to be issued by the Scottish Government on the level of funding that will be allocated it is understood that two thirds of the overall project will be provided with the Council providing the remainder.  The final figures will be established once the brief for the project has been agreed and designs produced.  This process, including preparing the project for delivery through the SW Hub, is expected to take approximately 18 months followed by a further 18 months to build the new accommodation and modernise the original school.  The timescale may need to be lengthened as the original school is listed, but the aim is to complete the project by the end of 2015 or early in 2016 if possible. 

Undertaking the project while the school remains operational will be a challenge but the Council has significant experience in delivering projects in this way while and minimising the disruption to learning and teaching and ensuring the safety of staff, pupils and visitors at all times.

I know that you will be excited by this news and will be given opportunities to contribute to the delivery of the project as the moves forward through the different stages.

Every effort will be made to keep all stakeholders informed about the project but regular updates will be posted on the Council’s web site at www.south-ayrshire.gov.uk under ‘schools – planning for improvement’. 

Harry Garland

Executive Director for Children and Community