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Vandal hotspot Forfar lockups lined up for £1-a-year community garden deal

The latest fire-raising incident at council garages at Lochside happened on Monday night.

The council garages at Lochside have been unpopular for years. Image: Graham Brown/DC Thomson
The council garages at Lochside have been unpopular for years. Image: Graham Brown/DC Thomson

Firebug-hit Forfar garages are set to be offloaded for a £1 peppercorn rent to a community garden group.

The disused council lockups and woodland at Lochside have become a magnet for vandals.

On Monday night, firefighters tackled another blaze in the vicinity.

It is being treated as deliberate.

Forfar Lochside garages fire.
The latest blaze happened on Monday night. Image: Supplied

Locals say it is the third fire in the area recently. They fear the fire-raising could put nearby businesses and homes at risk.

The garage site is near Forfar United’s Guthrie Park, behind flats on Lochside Road.

New housing committee to decide on garden group lease

Later this week, the first meeting of Angus Council’s new housing committee will be asked to sign off a deal for the site.

Forfar Open Garden group (FOG) hopes to take over the land and turn it into a thriving community garden.

Since 2015, the charity has successfully operated at a site further along Lochside Road.

But it is having to vacate the ground and approached the council over the land.

The Lochside ground has 20 lockups and 13 garage sites.

Vibrant communities director Alison Smith says the garden plan would bring the trouble-spot back into worthwhile use.

“The site is unpopular and only seven brick-built lockups and two garage sites are currently occupied,” her report states.

Lochside garage site in Forfar to become community garden.
Garages at the Lochside site have suffered repeated vandalism. Image: Graham Brown/DC Thomson

“The site has been subject to high levels of vandalism and recently there have been two serious fires at the site.

“Several garages are in a serious state of disrepair, due to vandalism, making the site potentially dangerous.

“Although security measures have been put in place, it remains a target for vandalism and is difficult to let.

“Housing officers spend a disproportionate amount of their time inspecting the site and taking measures to protect the site from vandalism and fly-tipping.”

The plan is to enter a 15-year lease with FOG at the nominal £1 per annum.

Housing committee councillors will be asked to agree the deal on Thursday.

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