Eric Joyce

Labour Party | Falkirk

Falkirk West MP challenges SNP council to keep promise over road safety work at Ladeside Primary School

Falkirk West MP, Eric Joyce is today challenging the SNP administration at Falkirk Council and Convenor of Education, Councillor Tom Coleman, to keep their promise over road safety work at Ladeside Primary School.

Following a meeting of Carronvale Action for Road Safety (CARS), attended by Eric, Dennis Canavan MSP and Councillor Coleman (as the local council member and Convenor of Education) in May of last year, all in attendance were assured by Councillor Coleman that he would encourage the SNP administration to prioritise the necessary work. This was followed up by a SNP leaflet distributed during the General Election of last year which noted that the SNP administration had agreed to lay a turning area for traffic at Ladeside Primary School and that the necessary work would begin as soon as practicable.

Speaking today, Eric Joyce MP said

‘Staff at Ladeside Primary School, parents and concerned local citizens who have contacted me about this matter are certainly under the impression that Councillor Coleman and the SNP administration were progressing this matter and arranging for the work to be carried out at some point early in the next financial year.

I have made specific enquiries to the Council about the existence of any proposals to construct a turning area within the grounds of Ladeside Primary School only to be officially told that no such plans exist.

It now appears from stories in the Falkirk Herald, reporting the SNP administrations decision to sell off land at the school against the wishes of the school board, that assurances given by Councillor Coleman and claims made by the SNP to local residents in the area, are nothing more than empty promises.

In addition, it would also seem that Councillor Coleman, as the local council member for the area, neglected to bring the objection of the school board and local residents to the attention of his own SNP administration when it agreed to sell off some of the land at Ladeside Primary School. In fact the papers which went to the Policy and Resources committee, who made this decision, note that “The Convenor of the Education and Leisure Services Committee who is also the local member advises that he is comfortable with the proposal”.

I challenge Councillor Coleman and the SNP administration to deliver on the promises they made and assurances they gave to staff, parents and concerned citizens and to take account of the objections which have been made about the sell off of land at Ladeside Primary School.'

Eric Joyce MP
Serving the communities of Falkirk West