Parents mount school playground campaign

A group of campaigning parents from a Helensburgh primary school are lobbying for a piece of derelict land to be protected from development.

- STAFF REPORTER

The families of Hermitage Primary have formed a group, Parents for Active Learning (PAL), with a petition attracting more than 1,200 signatures.

The campaign is for a patch within the school playground, which is known as the 'annex.

PAL say it would be ideal for outdoor learning instead of relying on the sports pitch at Parklands School or Hermitage Park.

The site used to have a disused Victorian school building and has been empty since a fire in 2022.

It adjoins the playground and is currently overgrown.

In a statement, PAL said: "Time spent outdoors is key to young people's welfare.

"Sport, play, and other forms of outdoor learning are a key part of physical and mental health for our children.

"As well as helping to build strong links between young people and their environment, playing outdoors is essential in teaching subjects such as mathematics, science, and sustainability.