Anger at ‘neglect’ of public park

May 8 2008

STONEHOUSE resident John Young is urging South Lanarkshire Council to take action to stop a public park from turning to ruin.

Mr Young told the Advertiser that the council had been continually failing to maintain the Alexander Hamilton Memorial Park.

He said that the once-popular park was now no longer being used by residents in the village because youths, who regularly gather in groups and drink there at weekends, leave shattered glass bottles and rubbish strewn all over the area and the council had not provided adequate bins for the park.

Mr Young continued: “The park is in such a mess that it is a public health hazard.

“It is extremely dangerous for dog walkers who frequent the park as the glass bottles and rubbish have been tossed all over the area sending shards of glass everywhere; dogs and people could very easily be injured.

“The council have a responsibility to the public to address any health and safety concerns of residents and to keep the area clean and tidy.

“I would urge locals to keep watch on the area and complain to the council when clean-up work is not being done.”

Mr Young added: “This issue has been ongoing for many years now and every time I complain to the council, all I get is lip service and a promise that something will be done. It’s about time something was done.”

Stonehouse Community Council feel that the Alexander Hamilton Park ought to be the showpiece public park that it was many years ago.

They also said that the council only seem to react to requests to carry out regular basic cleaning of the park, rather than have it on a scheduled maintenance programme.

The community council would also like to see more policing of the park area in order to keep the leisure area as a safe environment to be enjoyed by all sections of the village.

In response to Mr Young’s complaints, a spokesman for the council said: “Litter is picked up in the park daily, including weekends, and swept by machine weekly.

“If there is broken glass the machine is used more often, which in good weather is often each day.”