Outcry over state of play equipment
Thumbs down from the kids over rusty kit
Angry Cleland residents are drawing up a petition to demand urgent action over a neglected swing park whose rusty and broken play equipment is up to 50 years old.
Mum Lynn Gibson, whose Chapel Street home backs on to the large, overgrown Fir Place park, played as a child on the equipment that’s still there today when she moved to the area 36 years ago.
Lynn, 40, says she registered a complaint about the state of the park and its play equipment in August last year.
But she claims her complaint fell on deaf ears and she received no response from the council.
Both the slide and climbing frame in the park are covered in rust.
One of the four swings is missing and another has a broken seat.
The rockers, which are crawling with ants, are rigid with rust and do not bounce, and the seesaw is also so rusty that it does not budge.
Other than a metal fence which was erected around it 10 years ago, Lynn says nothing in the park has changed since she played there when she was four.
Despite its delapidated state, residents say the large space is popular with kids as young as three.
“For some kids in council house areas, sometimes a park is all they have,” said Lynn, who is secretary of Cleland Boys Club.
“That is why there are more than 20 kids playing there even in the disgraceful state it is in because they are desperate for somewhere to play outside. The council spent thousands on the public park and it is covered in broken bottles and grafitti. But never in all the years we have stayed here has this park been vandalised and you never get the young ones hanging about there drinking.
“We do not want our weans sitting in the house all the time. They need to get out, run about and exercise.
“The council need to give the weans something decent to play on. If the rust on that chute gets into a wee cut on a tot’s hand, that could be serious. That would cost the council dear - more than it would cost them to revamp that place.”
Within three hours of posting pictures of the sorry- looking play equipment on Facebook last week, Lynn’s post had received 90 shares.
“I have been overwhelmed by the amount of support I have had from the people of Cleland,” continued Lynn.
“Every neighbour I went to said: ‘ You are 100 per cent correct. It just takes somebody to stand up and say it.’ It’s not just people with young kids who want something done about this. My kids are 14 and 20, so I’m not doing this out of my own interests. I’ve spoken to neighbours in their 60s who agree that it’s a disgrace.”
A council spokesperson said: “Officers from the council met with members of the community and local elected members this week at the play park. While the equipment is safe to use, it was agreed that some renovation work is needed, so improvements will be carried out to replace swings and address other issues. The council will also work with the community towards creating a new, modern facility over the next couple of years.”
Cleland councillor Louise Roarty added: “I am delighted that we have managed to agree a compromise with a maintenance programme to allow the young people safe accessibility whilst using the playpark. All children need safe area’s to play, especially coming into the holiday period.”