A LOCAL councillor has hit back at negative comments after a Beith group were awarded money from a grant scheme to improve local playparks.

Councillor Jean Highgate, who represents Beith and Kilbirnie at North Ayrshire Council, was acknowledged by the Beith Playpark Action Group when they found out they would receive £30,000 to update the surfaces in the local playpark and tennis courts.

Councillor Highgate has now backed the group up after a number of comments on the Facebook page ‘Beith People’.

She said: “The recent article in the Ardrossan and Saltcoats Herald regarding the award granted to Beith Playpark Action Group (BPAG) for the resurfacing of both the tennis and ball courts has given rise to numerous comments on social media. Many of these have been inaccurate and I would like to take this opportunity to give a bit of the history behind this.

“In 2000, a small group of mothers with young children got together and formed BPAG with the sole aim of providing an exciting play area for a wide range of ages. Over the next four years they worked tirelessly. They consulted with adults and children, carried out surveys, liaised with North Ayrshire Council for the lease of the land, studied catalogues full of different play equipment and the hardest of all, raised £250,000 in order to carry out their ambitious project.

“When the park was opened, it was greeted with delight by both adults and children. In 2005, the group were presented with The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, acknowledging the many hours of voluntary work put in by the members. A very high accolade indeed. The work of the committee did not stop there – annual insurance premiums have to be paid, money found for maintenance and repairs and vandalised equipment repaired or removed.

“The concrete table tennis table didn’t last more than a couple of weeks before it was smashed and there were ongoing issues with the perimeter fence being damaged. Twice, part of the skateboard equipment was burnt and a week or so ago, one of the baby swings had to be removed as it too had been damaged. This is very disheartening for the very small committee who remain to oversee this play park.

“Over the years, several grant applications have been made in order to raise the necessary funds. The most recent was to the North Ayrshire Council’s Landfill Communities Fund for money to resurface the tennis and ball courts. Any group can apply for this money and in fact Beith Community Development Trust submitted an application to this round of awards. Unfortunately, the fund was oversubscribed and the Trust was unsuccessful this time round.

“There is an area of land that could be used to install another piece of play equipment and the BPAG would like to install an all abilities round-about and did, some time ago talk to a group of people who had an interest in this. The idea was that they would work together to help this become a reality but nothing more was heard.

“The land BPAG lease from the council is that enclosed within the perimeter fence and the area where the skate board equipment is. Apart from the possible addition of one piece of equipment, there is no scope for them to add to the facilities.

“In my view, they have done a tremendous job and I am sure that most people will understand that they do not want to start all over again. Their children are now all young adults. There is however nothing to prevent another group of like minded people forming a committee with a view to taking on the lease of more land to enable the facilities to be extended.”