Park problems prove a talking point

STATION Park continues to be plagued with problems, as another summer season draws to a close.

Some of the Moffat park’s attractions, including the boating pond and sections of the play area, have been out of commission for the entire tourist season, despite continuing pleas from the community.

Dumfries and Galloway Council allocated £90,000 worth of funding back in April to address some of the issues in the park, but little progress has been seen on the ground.

Updating residents on Tuesday night, Moffat and District Community Council chair Liam O Neill said: “The latest is that experts have now been brought in, they have examined the pond and are looking for a solution to stop the water leaking from the pond. We’ve been told that action will be taken by December to deal with that and hopefully that means it will be next year that the boating pond is back in action again, ideally before Easter . . . but that’s if the solutions actually work. We’ve got no guarantee.

“There’s also the question of how water is getting to the pond rather than leaking from it and no one seems to have a solution for that and further investigation may be required.

“The replacement of the play equipment in the park and the protective ground will be going out to tender and further discussions are to take place with relevant groups including the nursery so that the new equipment is appropriate.”

The park’s historic pavilion was also a talking point at Tuesday’s community council meeting. Mr O’ Neill added: “There was a great of money spent on the pavilion to improve it and nothing has happened since, it has no purpose whatsoever and it’s starting to deteriorate again, I noticed two broken windows on it just last week. Also, the paintwork is starting to deteriorate and we hope that will be resolved quickly.”

Fellow community councillor Mick Barker added: “I think it is appropriate to add that the council are amenable to suggestions from the community as to the use of the pavilion. There is a low obstacle for those who wish to make use of it: if they had a proposal to make we would do our best to support them with the council.”