PEOPLE have been asked to help look after a popular park.
Dollar Park was gifted to the townspeople of Falkirk almost 100 years ago and now the public has been asked to form a Friends Group to help protect and develop the greenspace.
But locals have accused Falkirk Council of allowing the parkland and b
uildings located within it to become rundown and fall into disrepair.
Now they are demanding the local authority shows it is committed to maintaining the public park.
It comes almost three years after a leisure boss gave an assurance money would be spent when it was available.
In 2006, Tom Leighton, the council's head of leisure services, said Dollar Park had been identified as one of the district's core parks included in a development programme.
He said: "We have already carried out a wide range of improvements in local core parks. Dollar Park is on the list and improvements will be carried out as resources allow.
At that time Mr Leighton said a parks strategy was in the pipeline and, although this was approved by councillors last year, park users say there have been no signs of any improvements in Dollar Park.
It was given to the Falkirk community by philanthropist Robert Dollar, who although born in the town, made his fortune in Canada from shipping.
A meeting held in Kilns House last week to set up the group, ended without any steering group being formed.
One of those attending was retired bank manager Ian Gourlay who walks dogs in the park twice a day.
He said: "I'm convinced that I'm going to go in one day and find Arnotdale vandalised or set on fire. The park is in a poor state of repair.
"Questions I asked were met with the answer 'not my department' from the official present.
''We did hear that £75,000 is to be spent on the children's play area but that was done up only a couple of years ago. It was asked why not spend £25,000 on the swings and the remainder on employing a couple of gardeners?
"No steering group was formed and the next meeting is due to take place in August."
But according to community services director Maureen Campbell the
Friends had been established.
She said: "There is still a great deal of discussion to be had over any proposals for Dollar Park and to this end, we have helped establish the
Friends of Dollar Park who will act as an important body to be
consulted with and help us take on board community views.
"Once our consultation has concluded we can put forward a range of options for elected members to consider, hopefully sometime later this year.
"This recent meeting was simply to establish the public interest in the park and help us to take forward any future proposals."
Councillor Adrian Mahoney, convener of leisure, tourism and community, said 'Friends Groups' had already been set up for Kinneil and Callander Parks.
He said: "I wasn't at the Dollar Park meeting so cannot comment on what was said. However, I would be happy to meet with anyone who wishes to discuss the matter furtheer or has concerns."
