At the recent Council meeting, a motion on the safety of walking routes to school was brought forward by Cllr Elise Frame and seconded by Cllr Katy Loudon. This motion was raised directly in response to the ongoing concerns from families across South Lanarkshire, especially in areas where pupils have recently lost school transport due to distance changes.

During the discussion, councillors highlighted major safety issues on several routes, including the Sandford to Strathaven Academy path. Concerns raised included flooding, black ice, inadequate winter treatment, path defects, and risks posed by the adjacent road. It was made clear that these conditions are not suitable for children, particularly during the winter months.

The motion was passed, which means the Council has now formally recognised:

That many designated walking routes are not currently safe
That parents’ and carers’ concerns are legitimate
That proper maintenance must be year-round, not reactive
That Education, Roads and Grounds teams must work more closely to address issues

However, this motion does not reinstate free school transport. The removal remains in force, meaning pupils—including those in Sandford—are still expected to walk routes that councillors themselves acknowledged are unsafe in adverse weather.

This outcome confirms two important points:

The route conditions are recognised at Council level as problematic.
Further pressure is needed to secure a full reassessment of the Sandford–Strathaven route and to push for transport reinstatement where walking is demonstrably unsafe.

Thank you to Cllr Elise Frame and to everyone continuing to support the petition. Please keep sharing, reporting unsafe conditions, and raising concerns. Your voices are making a difference, and we will continue pushing for a safe, fair solution for all affected pupils.

 ✍🏻 Petition: https://www.change.org/SandfordSafety