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A productive meeting was held on Friday afternoon to address the surface water runoff from Lawfield Farm into Lawfield Primary School.
3 actions were agreed:
- In order to help prevent the surface water runoff from the field, the farm manager will arrange that a 12 metre strip of land parallel to the school fence line is left unfarmed, and beyond this, farm contractors will plough the field parallel to the fence line for a distance of 30 metres. The 12 metre strip will be grass seeded In April or a suitable sowing time.
- The council will contact Scottish Water to find out if a new connection into the roads drainage system can be made, allowing the farm manager to connect the field drainage system into it.
- The council will check and, if required, clear the road gulleys around the school from Lawfield Road to the junction of Bogwood Road to make sure surface water is draining freely.
Since Friday 19 October part of the school playground has been cordoned off after water coming into the area from the neighbouring field was found to be contaminated. Extra hygiene measures were also put in place, including rigorous hand washing and changing into indoor shoes. Special anti-bacterial cleaning agents are also being used to clean the interior of the school daily.
Councillor Lisa Beattie, cabinet member for education, said she was pleased with the outcome. She said:
"The meeting was very productive and I'm confident the measures will not only the address the problem in the short term - before we have any more heavy rain - but they will also find a permanent solution to what is a very worrying issue.
"We want to be able to reassure parents of pupils at the school that we're taking all the necessary steps to keep their children safe and well. We want the pupils to be in school getting their education and be out playing safely in the playground."
A letter is being sent to parents of the pupils with the latest update about Lawfield.
