£40k boost to upgrade grounds at monument Jack Thomson
TENS of thousands of pounds are to be spent on breathing new life into the area surrounding the Wallace Monument in Elderslie.
Renfrewshire Council is to fork out a total of £43,000 on soft landscaping works, including shrub and bulb planting, tree works and the creation of “more formal” grass areas for community events.
The cash injection was agreed at a meeting of the local authority’s economy and regeneration policy board.
Councillor Andy Steel, who is board convener and represents Johnstone South and Elderslie for the SNP, described the plans as a “good first step.”
He said: “Securing this funding is a great outcome and thanks go to Elderslie Community Council and the Wallace Society for their very positive input.
“The plan has been developed since officers came out on a site visit with me on March 21 of last year but work began long before that.
“Former councillor Stephen McGee, who represented the area for the SNP immediately before myself, advised me to really push this as a means to drive tourism in the area and beyond and that’s what I’ve been doing.
“Much of the credit for this must go to him.
“Work really started before lockdown by making sure the monument is integrated into Visit Scotland’s Wallace offering worldwide but there was no doubt that the physical area needs upgraded so that visitors have a positive experience when they get here.
“With plans for new shrub and bulb planting, tree works and areas of wildflower meadow supporting local biodiversity, alongside more formal grass areas as a space for local community events, this is a good first step in that direction.
“More will need done, especially on the monument itself, but I know other councillors are working on that – with cross-party support – and where there’s a will, there’s a way.”
The monument celebrates ‘Guardian of Scotland’ William Wallace – a hero to many for his feats in battle during the Scottish Wars of Independence – in the village where he is thought to have been born.
Work on the improvements at the monument is expected to be completed this summer.