Here is the first look at Arbroath’s planned £200,000-plus seafront crazy golf course.
Angus Council has released a draft design for the West Links attraction which is at the centre of a row over the amount being spent on the nine-hole layout.
Work could begin on the project by the end of the summer.
A total of £212,000 of town centre fund cash has been earmarked for the replacement course at the entrance to the popular play area.
It has already been branded a waste of money and ‘belonging in the 1960s’.
Fully accessible
But supporters say it will create a fully accessible attraction for families visiting West Links.
Fairways are to be surfaced with a smooth felt carpet allowing wheelchair users to play on the course or from the path on each side.
Arbroath East and Lunan councillor Brenda Durno said: “I really hoped there would have been a re-think on this.
“But they need to have the money spent by September and it seems we are just going to throw this huge sum at it.
“There are so many other things that the town needs which this money could have been used for.
“All of the ideas which I put forward for the TCF were ignored.
She added: “I am also working on a survey of village toilets to see which are council-run and which are looked after by volunteers.
“In 2016 the council closed a load of toilets just to save £60,000.
“The businesses at West Links say they are inundated with visitors who want to come in and use theirs.
“And we can’t provide them at popular places like Lunan Bay.
“So the thought of spending £200k plus on crazy golf when basic facilities are not managed makes me very angry.”
Operator search continues
The search is also continuing for an operator to run the attractions at West Links for the next five years.
An invitation to tender last year failed to draw any expressions of interest.
West Links also lost its longest-established draw when Kerr’s Miniature Railway closed down after 85 years of operation by a town family.
Owner John Kerr invested in a Scarborough railway after hopes of extending the KMR track closer to the main play area fell apart.
An Angus Council spokesperson said: “We received interest from a small number of parties regarding potentially operating West Links outdoor recreations.
“Discussions are ongoing regarding this.”
“The tender documents are being prepared for the new crazy golf facility at West Links.
“It is anticipated that subject to the tender process works will commence late summer 2021.”
What do you think?
We want to know your views on the new design for the West Links crazy golf course.
Montrose paddling pool row
The council has recently come under fire over a plan to bulldoze the original paddling pool at Montrose Seafront Splash play area.
A new £275k water feature has just opened there.
However, plans to keep the original paddling area open have been dropped.
In a poll on the issue, more than 900 people said they want to see the paddling pool retained.