Rival plans for revamp cause real park strife

USERS of a popular city park have been plunged into confusion after two separate proposals were launched for its future.

Harrison Park East in Shandon currently has open space, football pitches and a children's playground.

Earlier this year the city council proposed that an area around the former bowling green could be turned into allotments.

But even as local groups debated the proposal, a separate plan was launched including new paths, activity areas and better disabled access – but with no mention of the allotments.

Instead, the second set of proposals, developed along with the Waterways Trust and British Waterways Scotland, suggest that the bowling green area could become home to either a new pathway, activity space or play areas.

As park users argue about the use of the space, there is one thing they agree on – that the separate consultations are confusing and a waste of money.

Secretary of Merchiston Community Council, Ann Royden said: "It's been suggested to the council that they could take public green space and make it into private green space, which would be the provision of 24 allotments plus, possibly, a community orchard. But you or I couldn't go and sit in our deckchair in them.

"At the moment the area they're hoping to do that in is very much used and in demand for rest and recreation by the high-density population that surrounds it. It's our only park and the very thought that they're going to take half of it and give it to 24 or so people seems a little bit unfair."

She said it did not make sense for the allotments scheme to be advertised separately from the other proposals: "One does not marry with the other, you can't have seating areas and wide, hard surfaced paths running through allotments.

"One hand is not au fait with what the other is doing. We've got two expensive bits of work going on by the council and they contradict each other."

Gavin Corbett, chairman of the Shandon Local Food Group, said it was in favour of the allotments plan.

He said: "When the council identified a possible small allotment site in the East park where the old bowling green was, which is presently an unused part of the park, we suggested that would be something we would be keen on, and we would look at the possibility of a community garden as well as individual allotments – but I think we're all aware that there would have to be consultation with the neighbouring area before anything happened.

"We felt that Harrison Park is large enough to accommodate a variety of uses and it's a relatively small allotment."

However, he added: "I went to the consultation display (on the new paths] on Sunday and I found it slightly confusing that there are two different things happening – it's not always easy to see where they join up."

A council spokeswoman said: "We are at the early stages of looking at access options for pedestrians and cyclists which will link up West Bryson Road, Watson Crescent and the Union Canal Towpath. Alongside these proposals we have been inviting people's views on the addition of allotments or a community garden in to this area.

"So far, the vast majority of feedback has been very positive on both these projects."

For more information on all the proposals and the chance to give feedback, log on to www.harrisonpark.org.uk.