COLUMN: It makes no sense to mothball or sell off Drummuie
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The Way I See It by Richard Gale
Last year is just a distant memory but the effects of the events of the 2022 live on and I hope that we will see an improvement on many fronts as we move on through 2023.
I could talk about the many global and national issues that are having an impact on all of us, but that is for politicians at a higher level than me to deal with and I can only hope and pray that they are up to the job, although past events give me cause for concern.
So, I want to take a look at Sutherland and what we can expect over the next year and beyond.
When I joined the council in 2017, all of the newly elected councillors were told that we were in unprecedented times with regard to our budget and every year since that message has been reiterated and this year is no different, except it seems to be emphasised even more, if that is possible.
So, what is being done about it? Of course, the mantra is cut, cut and cut again.
For a start, the council are looking at how to reduce the revenue budget on their property portfolio by £1million.
Now that sounds like a lot of money to you and me, but just to put it in context that is less than the council pays per week just to cover its loan charges (£58million per annum) and that’s what I consider to be a lot of money, being almost 10 per cent of our total revenue budget.
The principle is that by getting rid of non-essential property we will reduce charges on heating, maintenance etc, and of course we may also be able to sell on some property that has a marketable value.
A great plan on the face of it. After all, the council owns hundreds of properties across the Highlands and a lot of them are underused or even lying empty. Things must be bad as in Inverness they have decided to move out of the Town House by March to save more than £300,000.
However, as with all such things the law of unintended consequences kicks in when you embark on such a policy. Once you start to strip the assets away you are in danger of selling off the family jewels. As the marketing slogan says “when it’s gone its gone”
Locally, as has been already discussed the focus is on Sutherland assets and Drummuie is a prime example. Now let’s bear in mind that not all that long ago a substantial sum was spent on the renovation of Drummuie (some £7million I believe).
If the building is closed, maintenance will still be required, albeit at a reduced level; if it is put on the market, then the chances of recouping more than a small fraction of the outlay is minimal.
To me none of these options are viable or sensible. We have a resource/asset in Drummuie, and it makes no sense to close it. It is a fantastic building that was built to last with an incredible history as an education facility. I know folk, as I am sure most of you do, who went there as a boarder or just attended classes so it if a building has a heart, then Drummuie fits that bill.
So, the answer is not to close or mothball or even sell it. Let’s show some initiative and utilise this unique space for the benefit of Sutherland as a whole. There are many possibilities and I know that I have a number of ideas as to what we can do to make it viable, and I am happy to share them as we go forward.
Councillor Richard Gale represents the East Sutherland and Edderton ward.
