Heating failure closes St Columba’s RC Primary

Nov 20 2009 by Sharon Liptrott, Dumfries Standard Friday

PUPILS at Annan’s St Columba’s RC Primary School were sent home yesterday after a heating failure – just two years since a £60,000 new heating system was fitted.

Before then the ageing boiler at the Shawhill Road building had packed in several times with pupils missing schooling on a number of different occasions.

At one point the school was closed for four days while temporary repairs were carried out.

It prompted a complete review of the mechanical equipment at the school by the council’s property services department and the new boiler was fitted.

Heavy rain overnight on Wednesday and in the early hours of Thursday has also caused some flooding of one of the classrooms as the school urgently waits for a promised new roof.

The same problem occurred in August when P1, P2 and P3 pupils had to go home on their second day of the new school year because of leaks after an overnight storm and heavy rainfall.

Dumfries and Galloway Council’s education committee has allocated £150,000 to replace the existing flat roof with a standing seam pitched roof before April next year.

Plans

Plans have been submitted for the new roof this week and it is being designed to allow further renewable energy devices to be attached to it when sustainability funding can be drawn in from other sources.

A council spokeswoman said: “The school had to be closed because of a heating failure and it is hoped that our workforce can repair it so that the pupils can go back today (Friday).

“Plans for the new roof have been submitted this week.”

After years of lobbying by local councillors and the parent council, the school has had a new car parking area, new entrance, and new toilets costing £180,000, completed this year.