Moray Council storing £260k unused nursery units in Aberdeenshire
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Two unused temporary nursery classrooms bought by Moray Council at a cost of £260,000 are being stored somewhere in Aberdeenshire.
The units were originally purchased so that pre-school children from Aberlour Primary could move out while a £900,000 upgrade was carried out on the building.
It has now emerged the units are being kept at a site in Aberdeenshire.
An inquiry into why the local authority spent £260,000 on the units was launched in February.
It was sparked by councillors raising concerns over the procedures used by officers.
A spokesperson said the council was not "comfortable" disclosing the exact current location of the units for security reasons.
The Aberlour nursery children were to be moved to the temporary classrooms for six months after this year’s Easter holidays.
However a planning application for an outdoor nursery in a field next to the village’s cemetery was withdrawn in December.
Speaking about the temporary classrooms would have been stationed, a council spokesperson said: "The original sites were within the grounds of Speyside High and Aberlour Primary.
"The modular units are currently in storage in Aberdeenshire."
Results of the inquiry will be reported to a meeting of the council's audit and scrutiny committee in May.
Work is ongoing to find a suitable solution so the nursery refurbishment can go ahead.
The upgrade is part of the council’s expansion of its early years service to provide 1140 hours of childcare for youngsters.
