THE closure of one of the most popular play parks in the Three Towns has been met with anger from the local community.

The small play park on the side of Stanley Road was ripped out last week without warning to residents and now they are demanding that North Ayrshire Council reinstate it - but the council say the plans have been in the pipeline for over two years.

A petition was launched by local resident Nicola Taylor, pictured with Ardrossan dad Graeme Gunn, and at the time of going to press, it has already garnered more than 530 signatures.

A number of parks across North Ayrshire have been removed over the past 10 days due to age of equipment, vandalism or lack of use. The decision for this was made in 2015 and was made to save in the region of £50,000.

Graeme said: “My little boy, who is four, was looking forward to going to P1 because that made him a big boy and big boys can go to the park themselves.

“It’s not fair to ask and certainly not safe to ask a four or five-year-old to cross Stanley Road by themselves.

“We’ve contacted multiple MSPs and local councillors etc.

“The park was a safe place to play at and now that it’s gone they’re running around the streets, it was fenced in and now that’s all gone.

“It boggles the mind, what are kids to do when all the parks are taken away? You’re just forcing them indoors, not getting exercise, on the Xbox and with loads of energy and nowhere to burn it..”

Local mum Dana McGuire spoke to us about the removal and described it as ‘disgusting’, she said: “I think it’s disgusting to be honest. I have a three-year-old daughter that loves going to this park.

“Sometimes she goes with her older sister who’s 13 and it makes me feel at ease knowing that they’re only at the bottom of the street.

“The park at Central Avenue doesn’t have a slide and that’s mostly what my daughter uses.

“We do use the one down at South Beach. But I wouldn’t feel at ease if she was going with her older sister.”

There are talks in the pipeline to try and establish a working group or committee to see what can be down but the Herald understands that the cost of brand new equipment could be in the region of £80,000.

Tia Rennie added: “The children need the park there. It’s not fair on them as parks help them to socialize and make friends as they grow up.

It’s also closer to a lot of the houses in Ardrossan so that the parents know where their children are playing and don’t have to let them go further away do a different one. The removal of the park has made all the children quite upset as they loved it.”

A North Ayrshire Council spokesperson said: “In closing a small number of play parks, which were either less well used or subject to anti-social behaviour or vandalism, this has allowed us to invest in a number of the remaining 84 play parks to further improve and enhance the equipment provided.

“The decision to close the play park at Stanley Road was not taken lightly but we do feel it is necessary. The park is no longer fit-for-purpose and has been subject to a large amount of anti-social behaviour in recent months.

“The play park in Central Avenue is close by and much better quality and will provide a better alternative. We are also looking to enhance this area with new equipment.”

Cllr Jim Montgomerie, Labour’s Cabinet Member for Place, said: “These cuts were agreed in 2015/16 under an SNP administration. An SNP administration who made cuts like this without ever challenging their own government for a fair funding deal that would stop cuts.

“That’s why North Ayrshire Labour said no deal with either the Tories or the SNP. By being a minority administration we are free to stand up for North Ayrshire and fight for a fair funding deal from central government.

"We will also be doing things very differently. Labour won’t be making decisions with no thought for or consultation with local people. We have devolved budgets down to communities, our Community Investment Fund will allow local people to have a say on how money is spent on local priorities and, importantly, we are working on proposals for a proper public consultation on future budgets. Local people’s voices must be heard and they will under our Labour administration."

SNP Councillor Tony Gurney, the shadow cabinet member for Place, said: “How appropriate that, when asked to defend their actions on play parks, Labour’s only defence amounts to ‘A big boy did it and ran away’.

“In actuality the review of play parks began about 24 months ago. The list of play parks, together with the officer recommendations, came to a council forum called the Physical Environment Panel in May of 2016.

“Shortly after this the SNP lost control of the council with Labour taking over. The new portfolio holder with responsibility for the decisions on which play parks to close was Jim Montgomerie. It was his decision, as an integral part of Joe Cullinane’s Labour administration, as to which play parks should close.”

Indeed Labour have admitted that very fact in their own response when they boast of how many play parks stayed open. Had they so decided they could have refused to close any play parks at all.

“It is a fact of life that, in a time of Tory austerity, many hard decisions will have to be taken on council finances. It would befit Labour to stand behind the decisions they take rather than continually attempting to blame others for decisions made by them or with their agreement

“That they have already betrayed the trust of those who voted for them by issuing statements such as this is deeply depressing. They are simply showing that they are not fit to hold office.

“The people of North Ayrshire deserve better.”