NEW park equipment in Lockerbie has come under fire from disappointed parents and an MSP.
Last summer a campaign was launched by community councillors to improve the town’s ‘filthy, rusty, overgrown, inadequate, dangerous and boring’ play areas.
In response, £20,000 for a new slide at Park Place park was promised.
The hefty price tag left the community council stunned, but they eagerly awaited the arrival of the pricey piece of play equipment.
A year on and instead a new climbing frame has gone up . . . but it has failed to impress locals, who are so discouraged by its presence they contacted their MSP to complain.
And speaking yesterday, Dumfriesshire MSP Oliver Mundell questioned the council’s judgement and priorities.
He said: “It seems bizarre that this expensive looking futuristic globe-shaped climber should have been put in place when what my constituents asked for was a simple slide and, most importantly, some essential maintenance work at the park.
“The climber is sitting fenced off in the corner while the rest of the park is, quite frankly, in a terrible state with a broken fence which I consider to be in a dangerous state.
“I picked up a heavy piece of fencing wood lying on the ground which could have injured a child if used as a ‘play weapon.’
“The ground and remaining equipment is deteriorating and clearly has had little attention and there is rubbish on the ground.’’
Mr Mundell stated there appeared to have been little or no consultation with neighbouring residents, adding: “It would be interesting to have a health and safety expert’s view on the state of this park.”
What do you think of the new equipment?
