NORTH Ayrshire Council has said that a school sports day was not cancelled due to grass being left uncut.
The local authority revealed the much-anticipated event at Annick Primary in Irvine was called off due to safety concerns resulting from "changing ground conditions" at the school's playing field.
It comes as parents and carers raised frustrations at the cancellation, with an indoor 'potted sports day' held in its place - something that families were unable to attend.
One said: "The school’s sports day was cancelled because the grass had not been cut. For a community event that children look forward to all year, this is simply unacceptable.
"This was a completely preventable issue. Families made plans, staff prepared, and pupils were excited, only for the day to be called off due to a basic failure in grounds maintenance.
"It is not good enough that such an important school event was disrupted because routine upkeep was neglected.
"Residents deserve answers on how this oversight occurred and what steps will be taken to ensure it does not happen again. Our children should not be missing out on key school experiences due to avoidable neglect.
"On one of the warmest days last week, the school only managed a short indoor potted Sports Day with no parents allowed in, which disappointed a lot of families."
However, the council said the grass not being cut was not the issue which led to the event's cancellation.
A spokesperson said: “We recognise the importance of sports day and can understand the frustrations and disappointment of parents/carers, families and, of course, the young people that we had to cancel the outdoor sports day at Annick Primary.
“The area in question has been used for sports day activities in previous years, however, adjustments to the location and layout have been required over time due to changing ground conditions.
“During recent inspections, concerns were identified regarding the soft ground, uneven surfaces and dips in the ground. These concerns were further exacerbated by recent poor weather conditions as the flooding has not allowed areas to dry out and become useable.
“The safety and wellbeing of young people was always our primary consideration and we unfortunately had no choice but to cancel the outdoor sports day.
"However, to ensure children still had the opportunity to participate in sporting activities, a modified potted sports day programme was arranged and we hope the young people enjoyed this alternative."
The authority admitted that the grass did need to be cut but said plans were in place for this work to be carried out if the ground was deemed suitable.
The spokesperson continued: “The grass was also required to be cut, however, enquiries had been made regarding this, and arrangements were in place had the grounds been considered suitable for the event to proceed.
“Moving forward, discussions will take place with the health and safety team to review the ongoing suitability of the grounds for future events and to consider any actions required to address the issues identified."
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