Hands off our park!

Concerns have been raised by residents over the future of Huntly Park.
Huntly Park is well-loved  and well-used  by residents.Huntly Park is well-loved  and well-used  by residents.
Huntly Park is well-loved and well-used by residents.

The lower part of the park has not been used this year, leading to many fearing that the green space could be lost to developers over lack of use.

Kirsty Duncan, from Giffnock, member of the Friends of Huntly Park, said: “One of the concerns that I have is the football pitches in the lower park have not been in use at all this year.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“The football pitches have not had their paint markings put down; they have the basic rectangle outline but no markings for goals etc.

“The ground is extremely dry and there is currently no drainage problems.

“I’m sure groundworks will need to be completed in the future after a particularly hard winter where the community used the area for sledging and other winter fun, but the paint could certainly be completed ASAP for the community to enjoy just now.”

Kirsty continued: “Our concerns would be that ERC would be agreeable to future building work on the lower playing fields of Huntly Park as they are under utilised as community football pitches and therefore we lose this fabulous resource.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“The upper section of the park is protected as a King George V playing fields but unfortunately that doesn’t extend to the lower section of Huntly Park.”

With the Eastwood Leisure Facilities consultation now underway, there is worry among those that use the park that it could be earmarked for as a potential new site for the complex.

Kirsty said: “We are also concerned that the park could be looked at for potential development either for housing or as a site for the new Eastwood Leisure complex.

“Under option 4 of the consultation, it states that one of the sites could be ‘Braidbar’.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“But is that the Braidbar quarry? The school? Huntly Park? Giffnock North Playing Fields? Muirend Playing Fields?

“Braidbar is a huge area and the term used in the consultation is totally ambiguous.

“No one we have approached is prepared to give us any answers, never mind a definitive one, which is very frustrating.

“I agree that the leisure centre does need upgraded but not at the expense of Huntly Park or any other green space in East Renfrewshire.”

Kirsty added: “I feel passionately that all council-owned green space and park areas across the UK should be protected and categorically shouldn’t be built on.”