Changes to School Community Wings
At the West Lothian Council Executive meeting on Tuesday 6th October, officers made a series of recommendations about the future operational arrangements for twelve School Community Wings across the region.
The twelve School Community Wings typically provide space for organisations such as parent & toddler groups, dance classes, Guide and Scout groups to meet. They can be open during the day, at weekends and in the evenings, depending on individual locations and arrangements, as well as the volunteers running each management committee.
Officers have now recommended that all School Community Wings, except those located at Boghall, Longridge and Springfield Primary Schools, be taken into council control from April 2027. Boghall and Longridge were recommended for a Cost Recovery Community Benefit lease, and discussions with Springfield’s long-running and very active Management Committee continue.
No information is currently available on what this will mean in terms of booking availability, or potential price increases, although both are likely to be impacted with any change of operating model.
Since the beginning of the Community Centre Portfolio Review, the West Lothian Liberal Democrats, led by Lib Dem Councillor Sally Pattle, have supported the broad principal behind the work. At many community centres and school community wings, there were no formal arrangements in place between the council and management committees. Some centres had no committees in place, and others were offering free lets.
This piece of work had to be done to ensure that community centres could be maintained and utilised for their original purpose, to be spaces for communities to gather.
However, the West Lothian Liberal Democrats continue to have reservations about the ‘one size fits all’ solutions that are being presented by officers. What works for Greenrigg will not work for Springfield.
Councillor Sally Pattle says:
“Community centres and School Community Wings play a vital role in helping to bring people together. In some places, such as Westfield and Woodmuir in Breich, the primary school is literally the only community space left, and I remain concerned that access to shared community space could be restricted or become unaffordable through these new proposals.
“I also worry that these new proposals, which have not been welcomed by all management committees, will lead to volunteers dropping out of community activity they have helped to maintain for many years. I will continue to monitor this situation and welcome the commitment by officers to keep all dialogue and options open.”