We’ve now seen the latest response from South Lanarkshire Council (SLC) to MSP Brian Whittle regarding the Sandford → Strathaven Academy walking route.
Unfortunately, it is the same regurgitated response we have received time and time again.
Nothing new.
No engagement with the specific risks raised.
No acknowledgement of the reality children face every school day.
Once again, SLC tells us:
👉 Routes are assessed only in “normal conditions”
👉 Street lighting is excluded from assessments
👉 Winter hazards and untreated footpaths are a parental responsibility
👉 Parents must “determine appropriate action” when conditions are unsafe
This response could have been copied and pasted from previous correspondence — because it adds nothing and answers none of the real concerns.
Let’s be clear:
Winter darkness, ice and untreated footways are not “extreme” or unusual conditions.
They are entirely predictable for large parts of the school year in Scotland.
So we are left asking the same unanswered question:
❓ How do SLC expect children to get to school when a route is officially deemed acceptable, but is routinely unsafe under the very conditions children must travel in?
Not every family has access to a car.
Not every parent can alter work patterns.
And repeatedly telling parents to “decide for themselves” does not remove the Council’s duty to properly assess risk.
This campaign has never been about demanding impossible levels of gritting or resources.
It is about honesty, realism, and accountability in how school walking routes are assessed.
Brian Whittle MSP has made clear he is not content with this response and will pursue other avenues. We welcome that and will continue pushing for:
✔️ Assessments based on real school-time conditions
✔️ Recognition of winter and lighting as safety factors
✔️ An end to dismissive, boiler-plate responses
We will keep challenging this until SLC stop repeating the same lines and start addressing the actual risks faced by children.
🖊️ Sign and share the petition
https://www.change.org/SandfordSafety
📢 Keep the pressure on
#SafeRoutesToSchool
#SandfordSafety
#CopyPasteCouncil
#ChildSafetyFirst