Juniper Green Primary: Edinburgh school to remain closed until Monday after parent crashes into gas store
A primary school in Edinburgh has told parents that it will remain closed until next week, after a parent crashed into the building’s gas store on Wednesday morning.
Emergency services were called to the school on Baberton Mains Wynd shortly after drop-off yesterday, after it emerged that a car had struck the stone structure housing the gas mains.
It is understood the car belonged to a parent who had left its handbrake off.
A police spokesman said: "Police and fire services attended and there was no criminality established.”
In a letter sent to parents this afternoon, Juniper Green Headteacher Anthea Grierson said assessment of the damaged mains would go ahead today, with demolition work planned for Friday.
“This will include the removal of the car,” Ms Grierson explained, “and allow Scottish Gas to check all the valves and pipes underneath the ground on Saturday and Sunday.”
Engineers will also begin digging up the primary school’s car park and part of Baberton Mains Wynd “to check that there was no damage to pipes from the impact of the collision,” she told parents.
It means the school will remain closed on Friday, November 20, re-opening on Monday, November 23.
“The only risk to this happening,” Ms Grierson wrote, “is a delay in the demolition process which would then impact on Scottish Gas checking and testing the site.”
The Evening News understands that there is a strict ban on parents bringing vehicles into Juniper Green Primary’s car park, unless there are pre-arranged circumstances.
One parent, who wished to remain anonymous, said: "Despite the very best efforts of the school and parent council to enforce the rules around parents parking in the school grounds, there are always some who feel that the rules don’t apply to them.
"It is fortunate that this incident didn’t result in anyone being hurt, however to avoid something more serious happening in the future, hopefully this will encourage parents to adhere to the rules, which are there for everyone’s safety.”
Another parent commented saying: “I am hoping this results in change as way too many parents bring cars in.
"This could have been really bad.”
‘I will be contacting our community police’
Headteacher Grierson also informed parents that the school car park would be closed from 8am-9pm and again from 2:30pm-3:30pm every day until the end of term.
“This is something that I have been asking for since I came to the school nearly seven years ago,” she wrote.
“Moving the barrier to the car park entrance or installing an electric gate have not been viable options due to cost but this solution will hopefully work and mean it can be a permanent solution from January next year.”
The move is designed to prevent parents bringing their cars up Baberton Mains Wynd, and will be monitored by community police.
“If you have to bring a car please park it as far away from the school as you can,” Ms Grierson insisted.
“I will be contacting our community police again to ask for their support in monitoring the situation on the Wynd and asking again for new signage and lines on the street.”