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Daily Record
4 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Record
Report into 'what went wrong' with Falkirk primary school gets go ahead
Conservative councillors say they want to make sure there is 'accountability' as school will be closed for over a year A report looking at what went wrong and who was to blame for serious building defects that have led to a primary school being closed for more than a year is to be commissioned by Falkirk Council. Maddiston Primary was closed in February after work to repair damage from Storm Eowyn revealed that the mortar used in the school's construction was "significantly deficient". Since then, its 500 pupils have been decanted to three other schools across Falkirk district and members of Falkirk Council's executive heard today (Thursday) that the school will not re-open until at least August 2026. It is estimated that work to repair the school will cost around £5 million. A today's meeting, an amendment put forward by the Conservative group called for an independent report to be commissioned into what exactly went wrong, with its findings to to be reported to the executive meeting on Thursday, December 4. Members agreed that the review should examine: i. What went wrong in both the initial construction and subsequent maintenance of the Maddiston Primary School building; ii. Who within the Council was responsible for the decisions and oversight at each stage, including who signed off the original build; and iii What lessons have been learned to ensure accountability and prevent similar failings in future projects. Proposing the amendment, Councillor James Bundy said: "We believe that the council should take responsibility for what happened at Maddiston Primary. "We know that contracters were involved in the construction and they are the ones with the responsibility to build it but, ultimately, it was the council, 17 years ago, who had to sign off on that construction and since then have signed off maintenance of the building. "We just wanted to be sure that that responsibility has accountability." The report put forward by the SNP administration proposed a procurement strategy that will see the council continue to work with a specialist company, Hub East Central, to deliver the new facilities as quickly as possible. SNP councillor Paul Garner told members that a construction quality review is already being progressed and a separate root cause analysis is also ongoing, looking at what happened 17 years ago. He added that the administration was content to accept the Conservative amendment, which was was agreed without opposition. The SNP's education spokesperson, Councillor Iain Sinclair, added his thanks to all the teachers at Maddiston Primary and all of the host schools for "all of the incredible effort they have put in, accommodating this in what is a very difficult and challenging set of circumstances". He also said a "massive thank you" was due to the pupils and parents who have been impacted for all their patience. "This is an unprecedented set of circumstances and it's difficult for everyone but we're on the right track here." The Labour group leader, Councillor Anne Hannah, added her thanks, saying: "Clearly the level of defects that have been discovered in this situation are dreadful and the impact on the children and their families and the carers have been extreme." Despite the work, parents and carers have been told that part of the school campus will be available for younger pupils from August this year, with some in the extension and some in modular units that are already in place.
Daily Record
01-05-2025
- Automotive
- Daily Record
Fines for pavement parking will start in August, Falkirk councillors agree
The council is considering options for 21 of more than 2000 streets in the Falkirk area A national ban on parking on pavements and across dropped kerbs will be enforced in Falkirk through fines of £100, starting on Monday, August 18, councillors agreed today (Thursday). Members of Falkirk Council 's executive, across the political spectrum, agreed that the fines should be enforced in a bid to make it easier for people in wheelchairs, parents with prams and the visually impaired to get about. All Scottish councils were given the power to fine drivers for pavement parking, double parking and dropped kerb parking in December 2023, and Falkirk initially adopted a 'soft approach' to enforcement, issuing reminders rather than fines. The penalty charge of £100, discounted to £50 if paid within 14 days, has been set nationally for all local authorities. If payment is not made within 28 days, a Charge Certificate is issued to the vehicle owner, and the penalty will increased to £150. The legislation allows for local authorities to some areas exempt and all 2,366 streets in the Falkirk area were assessed for this purpose, with 21 streets now being considered for exemption or mitigations. Where there are exemptions, these will be clearly signed. Engineering design manager Gary McGregor said officers are still happy to look at requests for exemptions and he believed it would be "a moveable feast" as areas and streets will change in the years ahead. Two new members of staff will be recruited to the council's team of traffic wardens, taking the total to eight. The new roles will also allow the council to introduce a back shift, as most pavement parking occurs in the evenings at the end of the traditional working day. Introducing the report, SNP councillor Paul Garner said Falkirk had looked at the 16 other authorities that have already implemented the legislation and learned from that. He said: "This is something we've been pushing for for some time and I'm happy to see it now being implemented. "I think the approach is the right approach and hopefully residents will appreciate what we are trying to do." Several councillors said they are aware of areas where the new legislation will make parking much more difficult for residents and they were assured that the council will work with communities to find ways to mitigate the issues. Labour councillor Siobhan Paterson said that while most of her constituents welcome the change, she said it would make parking very difficult for some residents and asked if the council could look at creating extra car parks that could be used by residents. Mr McGregor said it was something that could be looked at as part of the parking strategy that is currently being devised by Falkirk Council. But he assured members that over the past few months they have seen a change in behaviour from people who have been warned, before any fines have been issued. Members agreed that clear communication with residents will be essential to the success of the scheme. Emergency vehicles and waste lorries will not be affected and delivery drivers will also be exempt, as long as deliveries take less than 20 minutes. Baillie James Kerr also welcomed the report although he added it was important to remember that in some cases "without people parking on the pavement our bin lorries and our emergency services", so he was glad to hear that consideration has been given to mitigations. Members heard that the income expected from the scheme was not yet clear, although Councillor Robert Spears said he hoped any income would go to "fixing potholes and repairing pavements". Independent councillor Laura Murtagh added her support but said that she hoped the council would not make any revenue at all as it will "just change behaviour". She said: "It's selfish, it's wrong, it's always been wrong - the legislation is there now and we should all be getting behind it."
