By Liz Fowler

A MEARNS school forced to use a public sports centre for lack of a suitable gym hall has come up against a problem in the shape of child protection legislation barring pupils from sharing changing rooms and toilets with non-staff adults.

A lack of suitable sports facilities for the 630 pupils at Mearns Academy in Laurencekirk has been a long- running problem.

The school has been taking over the nearby community sports centre in the daytime but this has resulted in increasing restrictions on access to paying members, leading to some local disgruntlement.

Mearns Community Council vice-chairman Alan Mowat has warned, “The situation is going to come soon when during the day we will have no sports centre, as it is going to become an extension of Mearns Academy.”

School rector Ian Parkin, recently co-opted as a member of the community council to keep members abreast of developments, has reported moves are afoot to negotiate a timetable giving pupils majority daytime use.

However the lack of separate changing rooms and toilets for pupils and the public was proving an obstacle, due to child protection issues.

He said, “We have a situation where the school could have dedicated use of one part of the building, the sports hall, but not without the provision of separate toilets for school use only.

“In the case of an adult coming in off the street and wanting to use the changing room, that then puts the hall out of use for us.”

As a solution, he has proposed the changing room and toilets in the centre for use of the disabled be brought into general service, thus providing a separate facility for non-school users during periods allocated for pupils.

He said, “That would resolve the situation, but negotiations are ongoing.”

Laurencekirk residents have been campaigning for a new building to replace the rundown and overcrowded secondary for several years.

The school has been beset by problems, including inadequate toilets and a dining room which can seat just a quarter of pupils, besides a lack of suitable sports facilities. Mr Parkin has reported upwards of 300 pupils leaving the premises at lunchtimes and that is leading to growing safety concerns and litter complaints.

The building, which dates back to 1895, also has leaking roofs, windows that do not open, dated light fittings and poor heating.

Concerns over its condition led to the formation of the campaign group Mearns Area Requires New School (MEARNS) a year ago.

Potential options for a new school, estimated to cost around £30 million, have been drawn up by Aberdeenshire Council officials but government funding is still required.

Meanwhile the school has undergone around £300,000 of council-funded stop-gap improvements.

Mr Mowat however has expressed disappointment that school changing rooms, although refurbished, remain at capacity for only up to 30 pupils.

A cap has also been placed on S1 to S4 admissions, which has resulted in pupils outwith its official catchment zone being refused places.