❗ “Matter Concluded” – Despite Icy Roads, Near-Misses & Zero Winter Safety Measures
Over the past week, we have submitted several urgent emails to South Lanarkshire Council following poor road/path conditions, multiple dangerous incidents, including a resident losing control of their car on the Sandford–Strathaven hill, sliding 180° on ice, and narrowly avoiding a serious collision.
Today, we are publishing the Council’s two latest responses so the community can see clearly how our concerns are being handled.
🧾 What the Council Said
1. FOI Response – 28 November 2025
In response to our request asking whether any other school route in South Lanarkshire requires children to walk along an unlit 60mph road with no barriers, no phone signal and no access to help, the Council replied:
➡️ “The Roads Service has advised us that they do not hold this information.”
➡️ This applies to all categories we asked for, meaning no record exists of which routes contain these hazards. 
On winter safety, they also stated:
➡️ They hold no information on winter maintenance for rural “safe walking routes”.
➡️ No risk assessments exist that explain how children are to get home safely in ice, snow or untreated conditions.
The Council does provide policy on early school closure, but none of it addresses pupils walking an unlit 60 mph rural road in severe weather.
Meaning:
➡️ There is no evidence the Council checks these factors at all during its “safe route” assessments.
2. Hinshelwood Response – 2 December 2025
Today we also received a reply from David Hinshelwood, Interim Head of Education, who again states:
➡️ “The route… has been assessed and treated in accordance with Council policy.”
➡️ “Many of the points raised… have already been addressed.”
➡️ “Travel along the section with no footway can be managed safely by a child accompanied by a responsible adult.”
➡️ “There have been no injury collisions since 2006.”
➡️ “If you wish to continue to raise issues… contact the SPSO.”
➡️ He also emphasises that the assessment was originally done in 2005 — 20 years ago — and has “remained in place since then.” 
This response does not address:
❌ The recent near-miss where a vehicle lost control on ice
❌ Recent accidents on the road
❌ The fact that children walk on untreated ice in darkness
❌ The absence of road and footpath gritting
❌ The 60mph traffic only inches from the path
❌ The total lack of lighting, barriers or safe refuge
❌ Flooding, freezing run-off and zero drainage
❌ ASN pupils being expected to walk this route
❌ The Council’s own admission that they hold no data on comparable routes
❌ Why winter conditions are dismissed as “not relevant”
❌ Why the Council did not attend the community walkthrough
Instead, the Council continues to insist the matter is “concluded”, despite overwhelming evidence that the route is unsafe.
Given the responses this week, and the continuing risks highlighted by residents, we will be submitting both Council responses to the SPSO as evidence of unresolved safety failings and inadequate complaint handling.
Enough is enough.
Thank you to everyone continuing to support this campaign.
We will keep fighting for a route that is genuinely safe, not “safe on paper”.
This is NOT concluded.
This is NOT safe.
And we will NOT stop.
✍️ Petition: www.change.org/SandfordSafety