Safety fear Dumfries school has 1,200 'issues'

Councillors have been receiving an update on the situation at the new campus

About 1,200 issues have been identified at a new Dumfries school campus which has been closed because of safety concerns.

The North West Community Campus was shut over a fortnight ago after a smart board struck a pupil.

The figure emerged at a meeting of Dumfries and Galloway Council during an update to councillors on the situation.

There is still no date for the reopening and no details were given about the issues which need addressed.

Many of the issues are understood to be repetitive in each classroom.

'Snagging issues'

"There are certainly some which the report identified as potentially being hazardous and could have caused accidents," said council leader Elaine Murray.

"Others are more minor snagging issues which are often common in all new buildings.

"However, because of the issues which have happened in this building we are determined that everything will be put right before any pupils are back in there."

A report to the council said the Scottish government and Scottish Futures Trust are being asked to carry out a review of what has gone wrong.

It outlined the problems experienced at the campus since the summer including:

• Issues with the sprinkler system and ceilings prior to completion

• A pupil being struck by a sliding door

• A member of council staff ending up in hospital after an incident in a shower area

• A child being struck by a screen

Alternative activities were initially put in place when the school was shut indefinitely with the hundreds of pupils involved now attending other schools in the town.

The report said those arrangements would remain in place until Dumfries and Galloway Council was satisfied with safety assurances.

It added that independent investigations of the site had found "high and medium priority items" which would present "operational health and safety risks".

It said it would seek reimbursement of the costs of moving pupils into other schools from developers Hub South West.