Cromarty Firth councillors move ahead with innovative plan for play parks after Highland-wide outcry over closures
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A group of councillors are using ward funds to protect and enhance play parks in their area.
After many parks across the Highlands were closed suddenly earlier this year due to health and safety concerns Cromarty Firth councillors have agreed to put ward funds towards the hiring of a new ranger, in partnership with High Life Highland.
Councillor Maxine Morley-Smith said: “We’ve come up with quite an innovative plan, the idea brought together by ourselves and our ward manager.
“Working with High Life Highland, they are going to employ, for us, a park ranger who will look at creative play and where we can actually put cheaper bits of kit into play parks that will last for longer.
“The post will be advertised shortly.
“We’re paying for it with around £10,000 from our own ward and Covid budget and we think it will push forward our play park redesigns and we’ll get ahead of the curve.
“Once we have actually done it for six months, or halfway through, we’re happy to share the model with other wards if they want to take that forward.”
Cllr Morley-Smith was speaking in the wake of a Scottish Government pledge to renew every play park in Scotland through a designated £60 million fund and a move by Highland Lib Dem councillors to see the money released as early as possible.
The former SNP councillor who is now part of the Highland Matters group at Highland Council said of the government move: “I did notice it and thought, yeah, jump on this bandwagon – it’s a good one!”
The motion by Lib Dems at last week’s full council meeting, which was approved, called on the council to approach the Scottish Government to urge early implementation of the spending plans “so that Highland children will have improved play parks as soon as possible.”
