The Chief Executive took the review panels report and added a third option that would involve demolishing the main building and leaving the back hall:
"Representation Received from Bright Sparks Special Needs Playgroup"
“A letter was received by me from the Bright Sparks Management Committee. The proposal by Bright Sparks is to relocate from its current base at the Cockpen Centre to the back part (gym hall, kitchen, three storage rooms, toilet block, and new foyer) of the former Leisure Centre building..."
"(The proposal is)..Midlothian Council funds Bright Sparks to provide play group support for children 0-5 with complex additional needs and their families in Midlothian. In addition the group fund raises to provide a range of activities after school and during holiday periods for children 0 -11.”
“A ...petition with 1040 signatures in support of Bright Sparks moving to the Bonnyrigg Leisure Centre was submitted on 20 June 2014. + 2673...online ... with 11 letters of support from locally based organisations. It had not been possible to scrutinise these in any detail at the time of writing this report.”
“The Bright Sparks proposal has not been subject to the same degree of scrutiny or consideration as the Community Asset Transfer bids submitted to the panel. Taking that into account, if Members are minded to support this proposal, it would clearly be necessary for relevant officers to undertake a detailed analysis of the proposal, the associated costings and the budgetary implications for the Council.”
“As an alternative to the community asset transfer, consideration be given to the approach received from Bright Sparks, and that officers are tasked with undertaking a detailed analysis of the proposal the associated costing and budgetary implications, prior to this being taken forward, reporting back to the Council if this cannot be successfully implemented, and or will require the approval of provision in the budget.”
Therefore, in laymans terms, the Chief Executive has put the following choices before the Councilors:
- Accept the Bonnyrigg Centre Trust bid for an inclusive Hub. Hand it over to the community for use by all community groups.
- The alternative is to delay the decision and investigate if Midlothian Council can afford to pay Bright Sparks to run a disabled nursery in the back hall. And demolish the main building.
- or, Demolish the Whole building and turn it to grass.
The Full report is below.