Falkirk Council: Denny Football Centre and Braes nursery surplus to requirements

But it’s not quite the end of the process – and there is still a possibility that the old nursery in particular could be put to new use.

Members of the education, children and young people’s executive, which met on Tuesday, agreed that neither the long vacant football centre or the former nursery were needed by children’s services. Both buildings will now be dealt with by the council’s asset transfer team, who will consider the best next steps.

Members heard that the Denny facility, on the site of the old Denny High School, has been closed since 2020.

Denny councillor Paul Garner said: “I wouldn’t say I was overly happy with this facility in my ward getting closed – nobody is every happy when any leisure facility gets closed. But I do realise the condition the building is in, I do realise that all the groups have moved on from there and have found other facilities and I do realise the financial position the council finds itself in.”

The former Heathrigg Nursery School, Slamannan, closed in August 2018 as a new early years centre had been created within Slamannan Primary School.

The premises were used for a short time by the Improvement and Well-being Service (IWBS) but this moved to its Laurieston Campus early in 2020.

Upper Braes councillor Siobhan Paterson said that she would like to make sure that communities at least have the option to take it over through community asset transfer. “I wouldn’t like to see it being disposed of if it could be put to good use,” she said.

Head of education and leisure, David McKay, agreed this would be the case.

He said he had recently attended a community consultation in Slamannan Library when members of the community expressed an interest in both the nursery and the community education centre.

He understood that the groups are now working with officers to explore the possibilities of taking over either or both of the buildings through the community asset transfer process.