Parents’ anger as playpark left under water for months

Published on 10/08/2012 12:00

PARENTS living next to a city playpark have told of their fury after it was allowed to remain flooded with foul water for months.

Residents said parts of Inch Park had been submerged for nearly three months, despite repeated calls to the council about the problem.

They said the water, which is understood to have been caused by drainage problems, was unsanitary and could lead to children catching diseases.

City environment bosses said the flooding was due to drainage problems and added that teams would work as quickly as possible to clear the area.

Kerry Anne Barker, 35, a mother of five who lives next to the park, said: “I know there’s been a lot of rain but I had to fish my wee lad out of the water for the sixth time the other day and when he came in there was black stuff in his hair.

“If you go to the playpark, the water is up to an adult’s knees and it’s really smelling.

“My four-year-old has been in and out of hospital since he was four weeks old. He has bronchitis and is really poorly. But when he sees his six-year-old brother running into the water he wants to do the same. I told the council that if my wee boy ends up in hospital again I would be suing them. But nobody has been down to look at it or drain it.”

Her concerns were shared by other residents who said their children had been unable to use facilities in the park for months.

Mother-of-one Paula Steuer, 32, who lives close to the park, said: “The water is deep. They should be trying to take it away. We want to use the park but we haven’t been able to use it for almost three months.”

Maureen Bonnar, 63, a local resident who regularly walks her dog in the park, added: “The water has been there for ages – the park has gone to pot.

“They had thousands of pounds spent on fencing and other things and since they have done all that work, things have just got ten times worse.”

An elderly local resident, who did not want to be named, said: “People are worried and I can understand why. If I was a mother, I would think there was a health and safety risk.”

City environment leader Lesley Hinds, said: “There have been some drainage problems in Inch Park following heavy rainfall. We have a team working in the area to pump away the excess water and repair the damaged drain.

“We expect the issue to be resolved soon and would like to thank local residents for their patience.”