Thurso councillor sees opportunity to create ‘super-parks’ in town
A Thurso Highland councillor claims the current review which has put most play parks in the town under threat of being axed represents a golden opportunity to improve the provision.
Karl Rosie said the increasing ability to tap funding from renewable energy developers can help pump-prime new “super-parks” run by community organisations.
He believes Thurso would do well to emulate other towns and villages where the traditional swing and slide municipal play parks have been transformed when transferred into the hands of voluntary groups.
He was speaking at Thurso Community Council’s meeting on Tuesday evening when Highland Council’s review was discussed.
It envisages 94 play parks, including 11 in Thurso, closing over five years unless new sources of funding are found for them.
Councillor Rosie said: “I think as councillors we have to ask: ‘What have we done for play parks over the years’ and the answer is nothing. It’s not been on the agenda.”
He said the £58 of revenue set aside for the upkeep of each park has not risen for more than 20 years.
Councillor Rosie welcomed the review as for the first time it set out a detailed inventory of the sites and their costings.
“It’s a good starting point,” he said. “It sets out a challenge to the community to create inter-generational experiences.
“Play parks should be an experience for the whole family and not just kids.”
Councillor Rosie said community groups elsewhere have shown imagination and innovation in regenerating council play parks.
He said that instead of a large number of under-resourced sites, the town could have a handful of “super parks”.
He added that renewable energy companies are a potentially key source of funding for community enterprises.
“These are opportunities that are coming forward and we need to react to them,” he said.
A key part of the package for such ventures, he believed, is to have resources allocated for the maintenance and eventual replacement of the equipment.
Council colleague Ron Gunn said a number of parks in the town are badly run down.
“One has only got two swings and there is only one in the park at Scrabster. Several have equipment blocked off.”
He added: “The problem is that when something breaks down, the council doesn’t have the money to repair it.”
However, Councillor Gunn said Gillock Park, beside the town’s caravan and camping site, is to undergo a substantial refurbishment early next year thanks to a £157,000 grant from the Scottish Government.
Community council chair Thelma Mackenzie doubted whether any money had been spent on the play park off Pennyland Drive in 40 years.
Colleague Ian McElroy said the park in Sweyn Road in the Pennyland estate is known to some local people as “Chernobyl Park”.
He said it would be useful to have data about the usage of the parks.
Councillor Gunn said: “You hardly see any kids on some of the parks.”
“That is anecdotal,” retorted Mr McElroy.
Fellow member Gill Arrowsmith said many of the town’s sites are very basic and equipped solely for use by toddlers.
“Some play parks have just got one swing. Some have got nothing.”
Highland councillor Struan Mackie said: “We understand how important play parks are and we need to holding people’s feet to the fire.”
He said the main issue has been the chronic lack of investment in the current sites.
“We have a stock of equipment in our play parks which has reached or is nearing the end of its life and we now have to consider closing some of them.”
Community council member Louise Smith believed there is a need for shelters and play equipment geared for teenagers.
Mrs Mackenzie agreed that there is a desperate shortage of outdoor leisure facilities for local teenagers.
“It’s unfair on the young people in this town. They just have the wee hut beside the tennis courts at Beach Road that can take six people,” she said.
“Every other town seem to have facilities, How can we take this forward?”
