Move for the public to share school gym sparks angry backlash
Call for plan to be ditched amid fears for pupils’safety
Council bosses have said the safety of pupils is “paramount” as they defended the decision to open a school gym to members of the public.
Plans to open the facility at Erskine’s Park Mains High during school hours – as a replacement to the gym at the nearby sports centre – have provoked a backlash from parents and opposition councillors.
Erskine and Inchinnan Councillor Jim Harte slammed the “extraordinary” decision and called for plans to be abandoned after claiming a proper consultation had not taken place.
He said: “It is extraordinary that a decision of this magnitude and importance has been taken without involving parents, teachers and pupils.
“The safety and security of our young people should be paramount and it is criminal if discussions haven’t taken place with all those that would be affected by this decision.
“I urge Renfrewshire Leisure to abandon these plans until they put in place real and meaningful engagement with parents, teachers and young people and involve them in the decisionmaking process.”
However, both Renfrewshire Leisure and the council have said consultation with parents and gym users has taken place.
The local authority also said concerns raised by parents, pupils and teachers have been taken on board.
Joyce McKellar, chief executive of Renfrewshire Leisure, explained the safety measures in place as she addressed concerns.
She said: “Like many new- build schools, Park Mains High School was designed specifically to accommodate shared community sports facilities and this model works effectively in other schools in the area.
“The safety of pupils is paramount and all pupils will remain safe, secure and supervised.
“Safety measures in place include separate controlled access to the gym for members of the public and separate changing facilities, physical partitions within the gym to ensure privacy for pupils and supervision by both Renfrewshire Leisure staff members and school staff, who are all subject to the national vetting procedures.
“Parents have been consulted through the parent council who toured the altered gym facility and any concerns raised have been taken on board.”
The shared community sports facilities are similar to a model at Johnstone High School.
Meanwhile, a council spokeswoman added: “The decision to move gym facilities from a cabin outside Erskine Sports Centre into a shared provision within Park Mains Sports Complex has been carefully considered.
“The sports complex is a separate building but has controlled access for pupils through a corridor.
“Fitness suite members will only be able to access the facility through the sports complex public entrance, as they currently do during evenings and weekends.
“We will always make sure our pupils remain safe, secure and supervised. Measures are in place to ensure the safety of everyone who uses the facility.
“We sought the views of parents and gym-users on how the arrangements would work in practice during both the design phase of the new Park Mains school and again through the parent council, who toured the altered gym facility.
“Any concerns raised by parents, pupils and teachers have been taken on board.
“We will continue to monitor the new arrangements once they are in place and make further changes if they are required to ensure the sports complex operates to the expectations of all users, including parents, pupils and staff.”