Controversial plans to “axe” half of all playparks in Angus have been redrawn following a huge public backlash.
A partial reprieve is on the table for a quarter of the county’s play areas following initial Angus Council plans to remove equipment from 50 of its 101 municipal parks.
While no plans were in place to bar children from remaining in the spaces left behind, parents said stripping the play equipment would be akin to “keeping a library open without books”.
Following a 1,000-response consultation exercise and the receipt of a 2,272-name petition, local councillors will meet this week to discuss a revised plan that would save a further 25 playparks.
While welcoming the improved chances of keeping open the likes of Winter Place Park in Carnoustie, parents and campaigners have said the revised plans will still cause much disappointment.
Local authority officials brought forward proposals to remove sorry-state swings and paint-peeled seesaws in October last year, in a move to save money.
Neighbourhood services committee councillors granted a stay of execution for almost 175 unsafe or out-of-date items across the county in February, and will meet to discuss the new plans on Thursday.
Parent Arlene Law of the Forfar group Protect Our Playparks, Save Our Swings said: “I don’t think this is acceptable. There are going to be people disappointed me among them.
“The Scottish Government have recently launched a paper about Scotland being the best place to grow up. The contradiction here is unbelievable.”
The cost of repairing and improving playparks across the county is now estimated at £902,000, which would result in a funding shortfall of £665,000.
Strategic director for communities Alan McKeown’s report also identifies gaps in provision in the north-west of Brechin, the south-west of Monifieth and north-east of Carnoustie.
Community stewardship of parks is identified as one of the local authority’s hopes for the future.
Montrose activist Tommy Stewart said, statistically, a 75% reprieve is good for Angus but that impression would not be shared by many residents in places where “perfectly good parks” might still be emptied, such as India Street and Market Park.
He said: “I don’t think they will feel that’s very fair as their children will go from safe, enclosed parks looked on to by their parents from the kitchen window, to walking more than 600 yards completely out of sight.”
On hearing that only two of the Kirriemuir parks are now earmarked for having equipment removed, activist Audrey Ireland said: “It’s a better thing that two of the 12 will be closing, rather than half of them, as there are budget cuts everywhere these days.
“But in places like Knowehead, it’s really important that kids have somewhere to go and maybe the community can do something to keep it open.”
The report now advises retaining the following number of parks per ward:Kirriemuir and Dean 10 of 12 play areas retained but no further investment for Knowehead and Glamis Village Park. Glenisla lease subject to further discussion. Brechin and Edzell eight of 11 retained, no further investment for Mountskip and Cookston in Brechin, and the Edzell Muir Trim Trail. Tarfside, Edzell Muir and Hillside Park leases subject to further discussion. Forfar 10 of 16 retained. No further investment for Whitehills, Market Muir, Easterbank, Gallowshade and Grampian Park. Arbroath 20 of 27 areas retained. No further investment for Provost Chapel Road, Abbey Green, Drosten Terrace, Newbigging Drive, Newton Avenue, Grimsby Place and Gallowden Road. Carnoustie six of eight areas to be retained. No further investment at Ballister Park and Ravensby Road. Montrose 13 of 18 areas retained. No further investment at Adams Way, Fettes Way, India Street, Market Park and Caledonian Place. Monifieth eight of nine areas retained. No further investment for Ashludie Park East.A council spokesman said: “We carried out an extensive consultation with Angus residents and a detailed review of our existing playparks. The move followed the report in 2012 which identified that half of the playparks in the county were causing issues such as obsolete or difficult to repair equipment and/or do not meet current health and safety standards.
“The results set out our new Standard for Play Area Provision for Angus which maps out our proposed playpark provision in all wards across the county. We are pleased to announce that 75 playparks will be retained, instead of the initial proposal of 50 playparks and approximately within the same budget. This investment will take place over a five year period and the council will review annually how it will propose to fund the shortfall.”