COUNCIL chiefs have pledged to work towards the best possible outcome for the St Peter’s Seminary site following the news that the organisation driving the restoration project is to close.

As the Advertiser reported last week, NVA will cease operations in September, a move which includes the cancellation of the renovation of the disused Cardross site.

At last week’s meeting of Argyll and Bute Council’s Environment, Development and Infrastructure Committee, head of economic development Fergus Murray highlighted the issue.

He said: “Unfortunately NVA has advised it will go into voluntary liquidation, but I am pleased to see that we are going to look at the future of the St Peter’s Seminary site with a number of options for it.

“We will work hard to try to find a positive outcome. We have positive options on how we can animate and consolidate the site.”

Councillor Ellen Morton, whose ward includes Cardross, also made a plea for a solution to be found.

She said at the meeting: “We need something which is a viable, sustainable project as it has been sitting derelict.

“The seminary is not on a main road and is not easily accessible up the Carman Hill. The NVA plans involved bringing thousands of people and taking them by coach up the hill, which has bends everywhere.

“School children who live up there get school transport despite the fact that they don’t meet the distance requirements, because the road is so dangerous that nobody could allow them to walk on it.

“I could not see any proposals which involved thousands of people walking up the hill working. This was viewed with a degree of welcome but it has turned out not to be viable, and the last thing we want is for an unviable alternative idea.

“We cannot leave Cardross with an eyesore in the middle of it which has been an attraction for drug users.

“There was also a child very seriously injured on the site a few years ago, so we have to look at how we can make something good out of this site.”