| The claims were made by local man Gordon Deans, who fought to save the park when Dundee City Council proposed to build a football stadium there as part of the Scottish/Irish failed bid to host the 2008 European Championships.
Mr Deans said he has watched the park — particularly the ponds area to the north of Mains Castle — steadily deteriorate to the point where he believes it represents a real threat to the safety of people using it.
He said that flash floods last year had washed away steps and paths and nothing had been done to repair the damage. Even the foundations of these steps and paths had been eroded by the floods, he alleged.
He said he challenged Lord Provost John Letford over the condition of Caird Park on a radio phone-in at the weekend. He added, “These steps and paths were washed away over a year ago and I would like the Lord Provost to publicly state why nothing has been done. If he isn’t aware of these conditions, why haven’t the highly-paid council officials brought it to the council’s attention?
“The ponds are totally neglected, the paths have not seen a bit of tarmac in my lifetime and, when it’s raining, all the pot holes are full of water.
“Even the burn at the Old Glamis Road end is eroding away at the sides and the war memorial at the Mill o’ Mains end is all graffiti.
“The council was all for spending millions of pounds on a football stadium for the park — after their shameful court action against the citizens of Dundee to take control of the park.
“Why can’t they spend a few thousand on the maintenance and safety of the park for the people of Dundee?The neglect seems to be a stepping stone to let property developers into another of Dundee’s green belt areas.”
Mr Deans said he had tried to contact the Lord Provost on two occasions this week to arrange for a tour of the park, so that Mr Letford could see for himself the areas causing most concern.
Mr Deans said he had heard nothing back and wondered if Mr Letford’s “silence” was an attempt to “protect the current administration from embarrassment over the abandonment of the Forgotten Park”.
However, within half-an-hour of the Evening Telegraph contacting the city council for a response to Mr Dean’s allegations, Mr Letford’s secretary had arranged a meeting between the two men at the park for later today. |
