A NORTH Berwick group has launched a campaign to buy a former council care home for local community use – as it was revealed it had narrowly missed an opportunity for a community buyout.

East Lothian Council announced in March this year it would be closing The Abbey care home, on North Berwick’s Old Abbey Road.

All residents have now been rehomed and the premises was put on the market late last month for £1.2 million.

A meeting of North Berwick Community Development Company (NBCDC) last Thursday revealed preliminary plans to bring the building and gardens into community use, with ideas including allotments, a café and accommodation for visitors to the town all suggested.

But it was revealed that East Lothian Council had put the property on the market before the community group was able to apply for a community asset transfer, which would have enabled the purchase of the former care home at reduced market value.

Kathy Duncan, who leads the NBCDC’s subgroup for The Abbey and co-founded Herbspace, a community interest company which uses part of The Abbey’s gardens, said at the meeting: “The amount of young people who come down, who don't go to school, are too anxious – since Covid it's got a lot worse, but there's not enough resources and, increasingly, school just doesn't suit some young people.

“We could just do so much down there in that space; those who don't go to school, they could come do volunteering. They could meet other people, different generations. They could get some work experience. We could train people up in the cafe, in hospitality, in the hostel.

“We would want to develop a social enterprise idea.

“It’s about talking to people as much as we can and putting together a business plan. But we’re under a time constraint because the council could put in a closing date next month.”

The group revealed that it was in the process of putting together a business plan for The Abbey, with use of the building intended to generate income. 

Kenny Miller, co-chair of the NBCDC, said that Craig Hoy, South Scotland MSP, had “provided a list of possible funding”.

But it was also revealed that, shortly after the NBCDC made an expression of interest for the property to East Lothian Council, with a view to applying for a community asset transfer, the local authority put the former care home on the market.

This means, under community empowerment legislation, that the council is not obliged to wait for the NBCDC to find funding to bid for the property.

An East Lothian Council spokesperson said: “We would always engage with interested parties regarding potential community asset transfer opportunities.

“No formal applications for community asset transfer in relation to the former The Abbey care home have been received to date.

“Following the Integrated Joint Board’s difficult decision to close the care home, the building has been placed on the market for sale in line with the council’s asset strategy and due process.

“The process of marketing and selling such a property includes responding to queries, arranging viewings/issuing particulars, setting a closing date, recording offers and analysing offers received.

“No closing date has been set at this time.”

The next NBCDC meeting on plans for the Abbey is on Wednesday at 7pm in North Berwick Community Centre.