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The ceiling of a room which has had to be closed after Ł3000 was raised to create it. To buy: c13nur02. More on our gallery. |
AT A meeting of the Executive last week education and lifelong learning spokesperson for Argyll and Bute Council, Isobel Strong and leader of the council Dick Walsh assured a local Councillor that they would be visiting Campbeltown Nursery in the near future.
This was prompted after Councillor Donald Kelly requested Councillor Strong and director of community services Douglas Hendry to visit the nursery at three different meetings of the council last year but they both failed to visit although they were in Campbeltown in December.
Now Councillor Strong along with Councillor Walsh have agreed to make the much needed visit in the near future after Councillor Kelly expressed his concern at the condition of Campbeltown Nursery and asked for a firm commitment from both members of the council, both of which gave their commitment to visit the nursery.
Donald Kelly said: ‘Campbeltown nursery building has windows falling out and it’s been condemned by the councils capital programme manager and it’s not fit for purpose.’
Parents gathered last Wednesday with councillors to discuss the next steps they can take to get something done about the nursery building as they feel it is a significant health risk.
Parents expressed their concern about putting children in the building, with some not taking the risk when the weather is bad as they feared the building is unsafe.
They also expressed their disappointment after Ł3000 was raised for a new, which is now unusable and unable to be entered because of the unsafe ceiling and constant stream of water coming in.
Every room has its problems and during the winter some staff were forced to come into the nursery early every morning to clean the carpets in the Meadows under-fives where snails had come in through the holes in the walls and left a trail.
The windows in some of the rooms are unable to be opened with others not being able to be closed.
The sink in the kitchen hasn’t worked for sometime, and the council are not bothering to replace things with large containers being used to catch water in the Toy Library, and a report of hail stones coming into the building through the holes in the roof recently. And although the children thought it was great, the parents and staff are growing more and more concerned for their safety.
Campbeltown Nursery provides jobs for 15 staff with it facilitating for the Toy Library, Meadows Under-fives, the nursery and the Bounce and Tickle class.
The nursery alone caters for 49 children at present with another four children joining after Easter, with 15 to 20 families with children in the Toy Library.
Councillor Kelly took the problems of the nursery upon himself last year to try and get something done about the building’s condition.
At the December meeting of the area committee the building was discussed as being treated ‘as a priority’.
A recent inspection by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Education (HMIE) of Campbeltown Nursery did not mention the condition of the building, although this is what Campbeltown Grammar School fell down on.
Councillor Kelly has contacted HMIE for an explanation as to why they didn’t consider the condition of the building. Some parents commented on the state of building in questionnaires given to them by HMIE.
In 1991 the nursery were put out of the building because it was condemned, but the question arose last week of, if its not fit for purpose, is it fit for people? One person described the building as ‘past being ridiculous’.
Catherine McTaggart whose three year old daughter started nursery in August has had to stop her going on three occasions. She said: ‘I had to keep her off when the weather was bad because I felt the building was unsafe. She is missing her pre-school education but as her mother I’ve had to keep her off.’
Heather Anderson, works in Meadows Under-five and the Toy Library and explains how they want all the facilities to stay together in one building. She said: ‘It’s really the only place in Campbeltown to provide all day care for all the children. A lot of families wouldn’t be able to work if this service wasn’t provided.
‘We all work together to provide a whole service of care in Campbeltown.’
Argyll and Bute Council have said they would not commit funding to Campbeltown Nursery because the School Estates Strategy and the possibility of a Joint Campus.
Councillor Kelly suggested a modular building which could be moved if the School Estate Strategy was to be approved but this could take up to 15 years, if it was to be implemented.
