Clydebank and north-west Glasgow schools ‘must be regularly inspected’

The financial body said after nine tonnes of masonery of a school wall collapsed in Edinburgh in 2016 there should be comprehensive structural risk assessments and inspections on public buildings.

In a report to West Dunbartonshire Council’s infrastructure, regeneration and economic development committee last week, their own inspections found no evidence of structural failures at St Peter the Apostle High, Clydebank High, or St Eunan’s Primary all of which were PPP schools, as had been Oxgangs Primary in Edinburgh.

Goldenhill Primary, which was not PPP, was also checked and found to have not structural problems.

Some remedial work was completed on Clydebank High in January this year to the fitness suite external wall and extra wall ties were added outside the kitchen store, and internal wall changes to the PE changing room walls.

St Eunan’s Primary was due to have remedial wall work and similar internal PE changing room walls adjustments finished last month.

After the wall collapse in Edinburgh in January 2016, checks were carried out and sparked the temporary closure of 17 schools across the capital.

By the end of January 2018, 154 properties had been checked, with 19 having been found as “having issues similar to those identified at Oxgangs School.

The Accounts Commission looked at the circumstances surrounding the wall collapse at Oxgangs Primary – where approximately nine tonness of masonry fell on an area where children could easily have been standing or passing through.

Graham Sharp, chairman of the Accounts Commission, said: “All councils in Scotland must ensure public buildings in their care are regularly checked and appropriately maintained.

“While reduced resources mean councils must make difficult decisions about service provision, they should have an appropriate level of expertise to deliver and safely maintain buildings. People must have confidence in the safety and integrity of public buildings.”