Glasgow city council urges parents to respond to consultation on public play parks
Glasgow City Council is asking parents and carers to have their say on how to make play parks better for children
Glasgow City Council is urging parents and carers to respond to a consultation on improving local play parks.
The Play Survey will help support upcoming Play Area Renewal projects across the city.
Paul Sweeney, a Glasgow Labour MSP, said parks have suffered swingeing cuts over the past decade.
He said: “The fundamental problem with Glasgow play parks has been the disproportionate budget cut to the parks department in the city, which has been cut over 70 per cent in the last 10 years.
“Lots of permanent staff have been removed from Glasgow parks and, generally, community play parks aren't being well maintained at all, so you end up with poor maintenance, leading to the complete dilapidation of a park.
“That means it needs to be substantially replaced because the equipment's been so badly damaged or vandalised.”
Mr Sweeney gave the example of a play park on Broomfield Road in Balornock.
He added: “It was assured with funding allocated from the Scottish government and the council that it would be renovated in time for the summer holidays.
“The summer holidays have now ended and no work has started on that play park.
“So that was a particularly disappointing outcome, but it's not the only part.
“There's another one up in Hogganfield Loch in the northeast of the city that's in a similarly bad condition.
“We know that the preventative benefits of active lifestyles and play are really important from a public health perspective.
“So it's a bit of a vicious cycle.”
Parks that are part of the survey include Festival Park, Corkerhill, Cleeves Road, Broomfield Road, Beardmore Parks and others.
Meanwhile, The Scottish Sun reports the Jimmy Johnstone Charitable Trust has won a bid to keep the public off the historic football pitch at Cathkin Park.
The proposals had received significant pushback from locals.
It had received a £345,000 renovation payment from the Scottish Football Association.
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