When is a park not a park?
Siew Peng Lee • Published 13 Jan 2012 08:45
10 Comments
WHEN is a park not a park? When it's Dunfermline, er, public park.
That was the shock discovery made by Central Dunfermline Community Council when it tried to take forward plans to improve the park's facilities.
The community council had hoped to give a facelift to the bandstand, fountain and shelter.
However, they were told the area was NOT designated as a public park, but a green space.
The plans have now been put on hold as Fife Council has to reinstate the site as a park before any initiatives for improvements can be developed.
The community council is pressing for the park's status to be reinstated but queried why the decision to downgrade was made in the first place.
Community council vice chair Ben Evans said, "One of the ideas we've been looking at is to get the bandstand refurbished and the lights fixed but when we spoke to councillors about it they said the council couldn't spend a lot on it because it was designated as a green space and not a park!
"It has now apparently been designated as a green space but none of the councillors could tell us why.
"I think it's disgusting as no-one seems to have bothered to ask or have any public consultation on it whatsoever.
"It seems they've taken this decision so they don't have to spend money on it."
Dunfermline Central councillor Lizz Mogg added, "Somewhere along the line it was downgraded to a green space.
"There are 30-plus acres of it - it's not just a green area.
"I've been told it can be reinstated. The park is being kept under control but it's not being managed as a park.
"If it's reinstated, it means the council does all the work - manicuring, planting, making the entrances more attractive."
Councillor Mogg said once the status was reinstated, it would also be easier for the community council to apply for social funding for further improvements to "get the park back in use again".
She added, "Since the autumn a lot of people have contacted me saying how much they'd like to see it used as a park again.
"They would like the bandstand in use so groups can use it and bring in people at the weekends and Commercial and St Margaret's primaries are working with the woodland rangers to investigate nature areas for wildlife.
"We want to make it a place people have a feeling of possession about."
Mark Horsburgh, Fife Council's area parks team leader, said the park's status "changed by default" when the St Margaret's Drive dual carriageway was built in the mid-1980s.
He added, "Over the past 18 months we've been trying to upgrade the maintenance for the park.
"People will see an improvement this summer as we carry out more regular grass cutting and edging, using different equipment for a finer cut, as well as putting in beds and smartening up park entrances .
"The difference between areas designated as public parks and green space is the maintenance specification.
"We want to redesignate the area as a public park and will work to higher maintenance levels."
Have your say. Post a comment on this article.
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BoBsDaMan
4 posts
Jan 13, 09:47
Report commentWhat a load of bureaucratic rubbish! Glad to see our money is spent wisely on deciding what is a public park and what is green space?! Sounds like an exceptional job for some lucky git.
Recommend?
Yes 25
No 2
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DrewCarnegie
38 posts
Jan 13, 20:14
Report commentI think we should raid the houses of all Councilors and remove their TV remote controls as they must add to the daily confusion that these incompetents must endure.
Recommend? Yes 14
No 0
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vinoboy35
22 posts
Jan 14, 23:59
Report commentWho actually creates the most vandalism in a public park ? When I walk through it every saturday or sunday morning ,the place is littered with pizza boxes.The "shelter" has been vandalised and sprayed as has bandstand .So, the public are doing most damage. Yes ,it needs better grass cutting but ,of course ,but budget cuts mean no grass cuts.
Recommend? Yes 5
No 0
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maclam
66 posts
Jan 16, 15:46
Report commentwho exactly are the faceless unknown persons who decide these things , and do any of them actually stay in dunfermline.
sad that even local councillors were apparently unaware of the decision taken to downgrade the park and a road which skirts the edge of the park was the reason for it being downgraded
Recommend? Yes 6
No 0
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Tradesman
30 posts
Jan 18, 07:44
Report commentI would not be surprised to find out I was some faceless official in Fife Council, located behind a Council desk in Kirkcaldy!
Any Parks been downgraded to ‘Green Spaces’ in Kirkcaldy?
Recommend? Yes 11
No 0
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SirSided
11 posts
Jan 18, 15:38
Report commentGreen Space?
Haha the only open spaces there are in this day and age is in the heads of those in charge of making decisions.
Recommend? Yes 10
No 1
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Geedoc
17 posts
Jan 19, 18:05
Report commentA strange move....{quite logically explained later in the tale) But disgusting ???? Hmmmn
Recommend? Yes 2
No 0
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******
Jan 20, 01:50
Report commentThis comment has been removed by a moderator
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hawkayethenoo
1 post
Jan 20, 13:20
Report commentWhat about the Rex park, what used to be a park is now a builders yard.Come on Dunfermline our green spaces are precious places we need to do something.
Recommend? Yes 5
No 0
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******
Jan 21, 19:45
Report commentThis comment has been removed by a moderator
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KirstieK
2 posts
Jan 25, 19:18
Report commentWell, that explains the state of the place...
Sort it out, FC!
Recommend? Yes 0
No 0
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itsallwentpetetong2012
8 posts
Jan 26, 14:02
Report commentWhy don t they do something with this park , like have the fireworks and have the children s gala here and use the bottom half of the glen next to the glen pavilion(which is getting upgraded) into amusement park like M&D at Strathclyde Park so bringing people into Dunfermline and so bringing a massive footfall to bottom half of the high street.
Recommend? Yes 1
No 1
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