Now council earmarks play parks for closure
Seven play parks across Arran are scheduled for closure as part of a cost cutting measure instigated by North Ayrshire Council more than two years ago.
Following a parks budget review, looking at ways of saving £50,000 by 2017, the initial proposal was to close 60 of the 106 play parks across North Ayrshire, a figure which was later reduced to 22.
The move has brought widespread dismay on the island, coming, as it did, on the back of the fiasco over the public toilet closures.
On Arran, seven out of a possible 23 play parks are earmarked for closure later this month. At a Locality Partnership meeting held in December last year, participants were requested to comment on the proposals prior to a final report in order ‘to secure improvement and investment in play with a defined budget that removes poor quality equipment and play areas whilst enhancing alternative play sites’.
However, despite it being agreed at the meeting that consultation would take place with local groups and organisations, Arran Conservative councillor Timothy Billings was surprised to hear of the imminent closures saying: ‘It was agreed at the meeting that there would be local consultation on the issues. As a member of the Lamlash Improvements Association I am not aware that we were asked for our opinions.
‘I have written to the council asking for more information about the plan, and that no more swing sets are removed until we can, at a local level, make informed comments on the plan, and can assess all the options open to us.’
A North Ayrshire Council spokesman said: ‘Arran will have 16 play parks located across the island which we are confident will provide excellent provision for young people.
‘We are removing seven facilities in total. In the main these are single swing facilities plus one small play park at Lamlash shore. We feel that by focusing our available resources on the remaining facilities we will be providing a much better offering for communities and tourists to the area. When arriving at our proposals we looked at Arran as a whole and the 16 play parks are placed in such a way that there is excellent provision across the whole island.
‘The small play park facility at Lamlash shore is being removed as it is considered the nearby play parks at Stella’s Park and at the playing fields offer a better experience. We are also going to enhance the play park at Stella’s Park with some new additional equipment.
‘The two single swings in Lamlash and the ones at Corrie Harbour, Whitefarland and Cordon Village are all close to other parks, while the double swing at Machrie is close to the new first tee of Machrie Golf Course and there are better, safer options close by.’