‘No viable parties’ to run new £3m nursery

Doubt continues to surround the future operation of Orkney’s new £3 million nursery.

The building was completed in the summer but Orkney Islands Council has drawn a blank with its efforts to attract someone to run it.

An update on the project was requested at Wednesday’s meeting of OIC’s education, leisure and housing committee by Councillor John Ross Scott.

He said: “It’s great to see the Care Inspectorate have completed their initial visit to the nursery and have been impressed by the overall facilities.

“The issue now will be the opening of the nursery and the tendering process and so on. How are things progressing with that?”

Education director James Wylie replied: “We have concluded our procurement processes. That’s now closed. As it stands at the moment, we have no viable parties to take that forward.

“A report is being produced to take to the corporate leadership team to suggest the next steps and following that we’re bringing it back to committee.”

The impasse has led to speculation that the 51-space nursery, next to UHI Orkney, could end up being run by the council.