Gran's Railing Fear

Sandy Kilpatrick • Published 7 Apr 2010 14:20 0 Comments

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Mauchline's Covenanters Monument is dangerous according to a local gran.

A worried gran says sharp railings on a memorial outside a Primary School are an "accident waiting to happen".

But historian, Dane Love says the Covenanters monument has stood for 180 years without a mishap.

Gran of three, Fay Henderson, 56 from Gregory Street wrote a letter of concern to the Council after seeing her eight-year-old grandson trying to climb onto the "dangerous six-inch-long spiked fencing.

The Covenanters memorial was re-located to the school entrance with a bench added when the Primary school was refurbished several years ago.

Fay added: "It's been here for years but where it's been moved to it's more of a focal point. There are benches beside it for people to sit down, but children don't sit.

"The kids are hanging off them while they wait to be picked up from school, and playing beside them jumping on and off the surrounding wall. It's an accident waiting to happen. I would have thought when the school was refurbished these would have been made safe."

Historian Dane Love, and Honorary Secretary of the Scottish Covenanters Memorial Association said: "The memorial was erected and was paid for by public subscription in 1830. During that time there have been no incidents regarding safety.

"We don't own the memorial but will maintain it if the railings are broken or if it needs cleaned. At this time there's nothing wrong with it."

A spokesperson in East Ayrshire Council's Asset Improvement Service: "The monument and fence are grade B listed. A meeting is being arranged with Historic Scotland, since it may not be appropriate to interfere with the monument in its entirety. Initial thoughts are an additional fence or barrier may be appropriate. We consider this to be a low health and safety risk, but are investigating."

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