Parents furious over nursery extension

Move will mean loss of playground space and turn area into ‘building site’

Plans to expand a Perthshire school’s nursery, effectively turning the playground into a construction site for several months, have been criticised by parents.

Perth and Kinross Council is preparing for work at Rattray Primary School.

The new-look nursery will accommodate scores of extra pupils and aims to offer more support and flexibility for families.

But parents are unhappy the extension will result in the loss of part of the playground.

There are fears pupils could be kept indoors during the nine-month construction phase.

The parent council has stressed that it welcomes an extension to the nursery, but said the council had handled the move badly.

A statement released by the group said the new building will “bisect the playground, significantly reducing the space for children.

“The playground is already quite small and it is a facility we really can’t afford to lose any of,” it added.

A spokeswoman said: “As a parent council, we are horrified and frankly furious about this because as a consequence it has been suggested that while building work is taking place, all the children will be confined to the school for nine months and won’t be able to play outside at all.

“We find this unacceptable as we are constantly told that children need to play outdoors and exercise more.

“With an extra 200 homes being built in Rattray, the school roll is going to increase and reducing the playground seems crazy to us.”

The parents’ body has urged council bosses to explore alternatives, including creating a two-storey block in the P1 area, or putting the nursery at the nearby community hub.

A spokeswoman for the local authority said: “The reconfiguration and extension of the existing nursery at Rattray Primary School will provide additional space and more flexible areas for a range of uses to accommodate the increased entitlement to early learning and childcare.

She added: “The council is focusing on making the best use of the existing space for the extension.

“The small reduction in outdoor space is unfortunately unavoidable.”

The school is considering a range of options to ensure children can still get outside, including use of nearby Davie Park, she said.

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The playground is already quite small and it is a facility we really can’t afford to lose any of. PARENT COUNCIL