THE Dumyat Centre in Menstrie will not be converted into a nursery, councillors heard last week.

Officials investigated the possibility of converting the building, but found that it would be cheaper to build a purpose-built nursery on land next to the village’s primary school.

The update came during a meeting of the People Committee at Kilncraigs last Thursday, August 30.

Elected members heard about the work being done in Clacks regarding Scottish Government plans to expand early-learning and childcare provision to 1,140 hours for all 3-4 year olds,

Councillor Darren Lee, Conservative for Clackmannanshire West where the nursery in question will be located, questioned officers whether it was cheaper to build a new structure as opposed to converting the community hall.

Officers explained a feasibility study found a wide range of hurdles would need to be overcome at the centre.

This included the lack of a ceiling, the need for a lot more windows, plumbing issues and the fact that creating a nursery there would have taken away football pitches.

Civil servants from the education department confirmed it was cheaper to build a smaller nursery at the back of the primary school with the added benefit that children’s transition from nursery to primary will be made easier with the two buildings in close proximity.

Fellow ward representative, the SNP’s Cllr Les Sharp, asked officers whether the Dumyat Centre would still be used by the primary school with officers confirming they hold six hours of PE classes there a week.

That will continue until the new nursery is built, with the school looking to reconfigure its gym, which is currently also used as a dining hall.

With more free hours available to parents, Cllr Sharp was also wanting to make sure there are safe routes to school, to encourage walking.

Also emerging during the discussion was the issue of parking, with officers saying they are in talks with the roads department to ensure there is disabled parking in close proximity.

The school is also looking to get rid of some storage in the car park to expand the space available.