Residents on Bridge of Allan estate urge council to take action over playpark and pitch repairs

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Residents in a Bridge of Allan estate have called for action in a long-running wrangle over repairs to a rundown play area and football pitches in the area.The responsibility for facilities at the Westhaugh estate has been a regular question raised over recent years, with housebuilder Stewart Milne and Stirling Council both accused of dragging their heels on resolutions over the green space.The pitches and playpark were built under a section 75 agreement - and Stirling Council have stated throughout that they can only carry out repairs when the land is transferred to them by Stewart Milne.A safety inspection carried out by Stewart Milne last year revealed issues with the playpark and progress seemed to finally be on the way.But then residents were hit with the hammer blow that the housebuilder had gone into administration - with grass cutting now no longer taking place.The news has prompted calls for the council to be liable for the necessary repairs - and locals have accused the authority of not respecting the “spirit and intent” of the section 75 agreement.Resident Crispin Bennett told the Observer: “The maintenance is no longer being done, so we’re just stuck and it is so frustrating.“I don’t understand why the council cannot just cut the park and the pitches given they already cut other land in the area without owning it.“It feels as if council officers are just letting things drift and we’re being left with no answers at all over any of this.“The council had a reception for the Wallace High girls who won the cup not that long ago, they trained on that pitch but they wouldn’t be able to do that now because it is just knee high grass.“The children also can’t play around here because the playpark has just been left