Developers claim weather is delaying grass laying at park

Adverse weather has been blamed for delays in resurfacing the grass at a children’s playpark in Perth.

The site at Darnhall Park in Craigie has been closed since last autumn to allow contractors to work on sewage pipes as part of a major house-building programme in the area.

Families had hoped it would be open again in time for the summer school holidays.

But now the company behind the scheme has admitted the park will remain out of bounds for the foreseeable future.

Bellway Homes said the project was at the mercy of the weather, which had managed to be both too wet and too dry for the grass to grow.

A spokesperson said: “Initial problems with turf taking was caused by adverse wet weather, and further compounded when a second attempt to hydroseed the area failed, due to the conditions being too dry.

“We are as frustrated with this as the local community and can only emphasise our ongoing commitment to quickly resolving the area as fast as nature allows us to do.”

Bellway’s crews have been carrying out improvements to sewage pipes in order to serve new homes being built in Glasgow Road, Cherrybank and Craigie.

The works themselves have been completed but only one small patch of grass has been returfed and it is behind barriers, along with the play equipment and basketball court.

Liberal Democrat councillor Willie Wilson said families had every right to be angry about the time it was taking.

“This delay is completely unacceptable,” he said. “We will continue to monitor this until we are satisfied the work is being properly done.”

Local campaigner Liz Barrett said she had contacted the company to ask when the rest of the area will be turfed.