In the Evening Telegraph on Friday 9 March, Baillie Rod Wallace gave the misleading impression that I, amongst others, had blocked an investigation into an examination and response to parking issues at Forthill Primary school. In fact, I supported an amendment that widened the scope of the review that he had requested. I think it is hard to justify investigating these difficulties in only one primary school in the city when this problem is obviously much more widespread. Even in the other three schools in The Ferry there are also parking problems aplenty and many expressions of parental and carer concerns about child safety at and around the school gates.
The Education Committee on Monday 27 February agreed overwhelmingly to establish a working group to examine and respond to these issues citywide. The School Parking and Pupil Safety Working Group will be chaired by the Chief Executive and he has lost no time in arranging its first meeting later this month.
Broughty Ferry will be well represented with the Head of Forthill Primary School, the Chair of the Parent Council of Eastern Primary School and me already confirmed members of the group. As part of this review, we have been promised a risk assessment of every school in the city which will allow us to prioritise the order of the schools we focus on. Bearing in mind that Forthill is the largest Primary School in Dundee and its well publicised parking and road safety issues, I am confident that it will be at or very near the top of that list.
Parents and carers of children attending Forthill Primary School should be assured that the safety of their children is also high on my agenda for action.Laurie Bidwell Ferry Councillor
