Slateford playpark compared to Chernobyl by local councillor
An Edinburgh playpark in a “sorry state” has been compared to scenes from Chernobyl by a local councillor calling for urgent investment.
Cllr Christopher Cowdy likened the play area at Slateford’s Moat Drive to eerie footage of “rusted, overgrown” playparks filmed following the 1986 nuclear disaster.
Now city officials are set to carry out an assessment to determine whether it should be prioritised for a refurbishment. The Scottish Government provides local authorities with funding to support the upkeep of playparks, with £419,000 allocated to Edinburgh in 2023/24, £1.216 million for the next year and £2.027m planned for 2025/26.
The Conservative Fountainbridge-Craiglockhart councillor told the culture and communities committee: “On the whole, the residents in this area feel they have been slightly forgotten about, or at least they’ve stopped being anyone’s focus. I’ve been down there numerous times and the sight of the playpark is always a real concern.”
Cllr Cowdy added: “I don’t know if any of you have seen any of the documentaries or the streaming programmes about Chernobyl, but there is some iconic footage of abandoned playparks – rusted, overgrown – and they give a really eerie feeling because they represent how the town was vibrant with children families but is now left abandoned and desolate – and that is exactly what springs to mind when I go down to Moat Drive. It’s a real shame for local children.”
Among the issues deterring youngsters, he said, were rusting frameworks, paintwork “completely faded or peeling away” and “moss everywhere”. Describing the play area as being “on its knees,” he told fellow councillors: “This is not a suitable place for children to play in.”
Acknowledging recent improvements including the replacement of “rotten and broken wooden footboards,” he said it appeared these were carried out “on safety grounds,” adding: “The park as a whole remains in a really sorry state.”
The committee noted the “particularly poor condition of the Moat Drive Playpark” and agreed it would be considered for the 2025/26 investment programme.
Playparks set for an upgrade over the next year include: Allison Park, Clermiston Park, Tolbooth Wynd, Keddie Gardens, Taylor Gardens, and Dumbiedykes.