A Gatehouse dad pledged to hire an engineer at his own cost to inspect suspect concrete panels at Gatehouse Primary School.
Kris Dickie made the surprise offer at a fiery public meeting in the town’s Bank of Fleet Hotel on Wednesday.
The self-employed builder spoke out after council officials sought to assure parents present that appropriate checks had been carried out, remedial work was ongoing and that the school was safe for pupils and staff.
Gatehouse is one of four schools in the region found to have sections of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC).
The material has been implicated in the collapse of a school roof in Kent which sparked building inspections across the UK.
Mr Dickie told the officials: “The RAAC panels have been in for 60 years and they have a life span of 30.
“There are still areas that have not been looked at and it’s not enough.
“They are at the end of their life.
“There are too many grey areas and a visual inspection is not sufficient.
“You can’t sit here hand on heart and say the school is 100 per cent safe.”
Mr Dickie then offered to fund a detailed inspection of the RAAC panels himself to provide what he claimed would be a comprehensive picture of the building’s structural integrity.
He said: “Would you object to me paying for a structural engineer to come in and inspect the school?
“I’ll happily send someone in for a second opinion.
“My kids are not in the school and they are not going back.”
School manager property, Larann Foss said: “We have reliance on our professional colleagues. There is a question in this and we need to find a way to get these answers for the community and to provide that reassurance.
“I am confident the building is safe.
“The outcomes you are looking for are exactly the same as ours.
“It’s fair to look for clarity and if we were in that position we would look for that reassurance. In time, the whole roof covering will be replaced.”
The meeting, which was attended by around 40 people, followed visual checks of 21 panels in the suspended ceiling by Clancy Consulting last September.
A subsequent briefing prepared by parents questioned why only 21 of more than 300 RAAC panels in the building were inspected.
Clancy’s report highlighted one “high risk” and two “critical” panels needing “urgent remedial action”.
It also warned of a “strong possibility” of defects in other panels and suggested a “more comprehensive and detailed inspection” is carried out.
The report also warned of a “strong possibility” of defects in other panels and suggest a “more comprehensive and detailed inspection” is required.
Council officials told Wednesday night’s meeting that remedial work had been carried out
Further monitoring inspections were planned, they said.
Meanwhile, around 10 Gatehouse Primary pupils are still being kept off school this week as the wrangle continues.
The children are being home schooled in the town’s community centre after parents reached an agreement with the committee on using the building as a temporary educational base.
