Parent protest cuts Argyll and Bute £75m PFI to 17 schools

The scope of the £75m Argyll and Bute alternative PFI scheme has been drastically reduced from 29 schools to just 17.
The changes follow a public consultation, which saw parents take to the streets to protest against preferred bidder Precept's plans to build three superschools.
Precept had planned to build an extended school in Dunoon to house one nursery, two primary schools and a grammar school on the same site.
A similar plan for Helensborough would have seen Hermitage Primary School, Hermitage Grammar School and St Joseph's Roman Catholic school combined on one supercampus.
And a third joint campus at Campbelltown was also part of Precept's proposals.
However, concerted opposition from hundreds of parents has resulted in the council rejecting these plans and reducing the PFI scheme to 17 schools.
Liberal Democrat MP Alan Reid criticised the council for not consulting the public sooner. "There is an affordability gap that Precept had attempted to bridge by combining schools on the same site. However, local opposition means this will not go ahead.
"Parents are unhappy because many of the schools that have been dropped are in a terrible condition and there are no immediate plans to improve them. It must have been obvious for many months that the private sector would come up with combining schools as a solution to the affordability gap."
Richard Edlmann, senior consultant at Precept, added: "We have agreed a final scope with the council, which is reduced to take account of the statutory consultation process."
Argyll and Bute Council said it could not comment.