Courts are now a den for boozing youngsters
Fears for volleyball facility
Volleyball courts created for an international tournament last year have become a den of anti-social behaviour, according to a Perth mum.
Jill Straiton, a resident on Orchard Place, Craigie, says the Scottish Volleyball Association (SVA) must step in to look after the courts which have become a locale for underage binge drinking and unruly behaviour, with police being called out on several occasions.
The courts were built last year on the grounds of the old bowling green at Darnhall Tennis Club for the Small Countries Association Beach Volleyball Finals 2019.
The SVA and Perth Volleyball Club are hoping to make permanent use of sand volleyball courts.
But resident Jill has lamented the lack of responsibilty taken for the courts since the competition finished last September.
She said: “Many questions are still to be answered by organisations as to what they are prepared to do in looking after these courts.
“These courts were built before any kind of consultation took place with local residents.
“The SVA are hoping to have council support to erect a permanent fence around the courts but that is not a certainty.
“The current fencing was only erected by the council after a local resident contacted them.
“Locked or unlocked, they have already been a source of anti-social behaviour.
“The SVA suggested local residents should take an interest in trying to safeguard these courts, in terms of reporting antisocial behaviour to the police but we know from previous incidents, due to their limited resources, the police are not always able to attend at the time.
“The fence panel was dismantled, school kids in sand throwing it about, another fence panel was removed and thrown in the bushes.
“In general it is another focal point for school children/teenagers to generally gather and misbehave.
“The point I want to make is little responsibility, almost none in fact, has been taken by either organisation to police these courts - and that is what I’m afraid of in the future.
“Previous anti-social behaviour at Darnhall has resulted in police being called.
“It has in the past, this area has been a focal point for kids gathering and underage drinking.
“The regeneration of the tennis club has reduced this, but I feel an unmanned, unsupervised facility would increase this kind of behaviour again.”
Jill also feels pets in the area urinating or leaving excrement on the courts represents “health risks” to local children.
“They [the courts] have been open to the elements for months and are sure to be contaminated with animal droppings,” she revealed.
“People have been exercising their dogs in the sand courts as well as roaming cats using them as litter trays.
“The health risks are obvious.
“Parking would also be an issue in a street that already struggles with this problem.
“Many children live locally and any increase in traffic is a potential hazard for them.
“A representative from the SVA has indicated these courts may be left open for general use by the public.
“These courts should never have been built in the middle of a residential area in the first place.
“Surely Bell’s Sport Centre would have been a much more appropriate choice.
“Whilst I appreciate the SVA have invested money in this project, with respect, they are not adversely affected in the way that local residents would be, if these courts were allowed to remain.”
Jill revealed plans for a meeting to be organised to allow all parties to share their views, but no date as of yet has been confirmed.
The PA approached SVA for comment but none arrived before publication.
People have been exercising their dogs in the sand courts as well as roaming cats using them as litter trays. The health risks are obvious. Jill Straiton