The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Parents will foot grass cutting bill
Fury: Figure of £300 quoted ahead of school sports days
Parents in Angus will have to pay to have the grass cut and lines marked out for school sports days, it has emerged.
If the grass cutting in school grounds does not fit the maintenance schedule, the council will charge extra for the service.
Furious families at one primary school have been quoted £300 to ensure their youngsters’ day can go ahead as planned next week.
One family member of a pupil at Friockheim Primary said: “What do we pay our council tax for? It is short notice for the parents to raise this money. The government keeps going on about the kids not getting enough outdoor activities.”
A spokesman for Angus Council suggested primaries use secondary school facilities or mark out areas with cones as budget savings take their toll.
He said of additional works: “There is no funding available within our ground maintenance budget. This applies to all primary schools.”
Parents in Angus are being asked to fork out hundreds of pounds to pay Angus Council to cut the grass for schools sports days.
It has been claimed the council is charging schools £150 if an additional cut is needed, and a further £150 if lines need to be marked on playing fields, as there is no funding available in its ground maintenance budget.
The double whammy is implemented if the sports day does not fit in with the regular grass cutting cycle.
Parents are now having to raise funds to enable the sports days to take place.
One school facing the additional costs is Friockheim Primary, which is holding its annual sports day on May 25.
Parents are now busy baking and organising a raffle to raise the funds needed to ensure the sports pitch is in tip-top condition.
One furious family member, who did not wished to be named, asked why parents were being asked to pay. She
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Our parents and staff do fundraising for playground equipment for the children. What do we pay our council tax for?
said: “Angus Council is asking for £300 for an extra grass cut and line marking.
“Our parents and staff do fundraising for playground equipment for the children. What do we pay our council tax for?
“It is short notice for the parents to raise this money.
“The sports day is not far away. It would be interesting to know how many other schools are being asked to do it themselves.
“The government keeps going on about the kids not getting enough outdoor activities.
“Friockheim school has purchased a lot of equipment for the activities for the children and raised the money themselves.
“Come on, Angus Council, let the kids have their sports day and get their grass and line painting done.”
An Angus Council spokesman said: “Where primary schools require us to paint markings and carry out additional grass cutting and removal for athletics events, they must meet the costs themselves, as there is no funding available within our ground maintenance budget.
“This applies to all primary schools. Some choose to make use of athletics facilities at Angus secondary schools, while others will use cones to mark out areas.
“In some cases, schools have scheduled their sports days to coincide with the regular grass cutting cycle so no additional cutting is required.”