‘Grotty’ park frustrations bubble over

FRUSTRATIONS about a lack of action to fix the ‘grotty’ appearance of Moffat’s popular Station Park were aired on Tuesday night.

As the summer holidays are within touching distance, residents and community leaders shared their annoyance that little work has been carried out to get the park in working order for the end of the school year.

They noted that £90,000 worth of funding was allocated by Dumfries and Galloway Council back in April to address some of the issues in the park, including for the purchase of new play equipment and the resurfacing of the play area.

Voicing his exasperation about the current state of the park at this week’s informal community meeting, Moffat and District Community Council chair Liam O’ Neill said: “Station Park is becoming more and more frustrating. I reported it last meeting that the council were bringing in experts about why the water is not being held in the boating pond. As far as I know these experts have not actually been out to look at the pond.

“Another thing is the children’s play equipment is becoming pretty grotty and underfoot needs to be looked at as well. Now £90,000 was allocated by the councillors to replace that equipment and the surface area but again nothing has happened and it needs to be done fairly quickly.

“Also, the pavilion in the park has been left to deteriorate despite all the money that was spent on it, and the community aren’t able to access it. It sits there empty, there’s rot, the paintwork is starting to flake again, the windows need cleaned and it’s annoying to say the least.

“We’re sitting here at the end of June and nothing has happened.

“The frustration with this whole thing comes from the lack of urgency, we’re trying to get these things done for the park and the town but it takes an age.”