South Ayrshire Council is entering into a partnership agreement with the Voluntary Park Action Group to progress the development of a community garden at Voluntary Park at Glenmuir Place in Ayr. 

The development will take place in partnership with the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers (BTCV) Scotland.

The Convener of the Council’s Commercial and Business Services Committee, Councillor Alistair Kerr said:  “The Scottish Government is encouraging people to build safer, healthier and stronger communities initiatives such as the one planned for Voluntary Park.  This initiative will encourage local people to take ownership of the park and this will help to strengthen the community.

“The park is currently underused, but that could all change in the future.  Plans that include the construction of grass areas for informal recreation and play, woodland and wildflower areas to improve biodiversity and add interest, and informal footpaths to encourage healthy outdoor pursuits are under way. 

“I am confident that the changes will revitalise the area and encourage greater use by local people.”

BTCV Scotland work in partnership with local communities and local authorities to deliver projects that create a better environment that can be enjoyed by the community.  The organisation aims to encourage sustainable communities and increase people’s life skills through voluntary participation in community projects.

Since July 2004 BTCV Scotland has been delivering the Ayr North Community Garden Initiative that has developed and delivered a range of activities that conserve and enhance the local environment.  Through this initiative it emerged that a large number of people in the community surrounding Voluntary Park were interested in developing it.

The park is an area of green space, predominantly poor quality grassland with peripheral shrub growth.  The area is owned and maintained by the Council within their Parks and Public Open Spaces Recreation and Landscape strategy.  The park  is designated as an active area of open grassland set aside for informal recreational use.

A Community Park Development Project has been submitted by BTCV on behalf of the community of North Ayr to the South Ayrshire Waste Environment Trust (SAWET) seeking funding for the improvement of the open space at Voluntary Park.

The SAWET board approved an initial grant of £5,000 in June 2005 to support the feasibility study and consultation process within the community of North Ayr.  Final year students at Auchincruive College carried out a feasibility study to establish the level of biodiversity within the area and to examine future landscape development potential that would encourage local community use.

A further grant of £125,000 has been approved in principle by SAWET, subject to a number of conditions including the creation of a partnership agreement within the Council to support the aims and objects of the Voluntary park management plan.

The Scottish Government has pledged £10,000 to BTCV to support the regeneration proposals.

Further capital funding will be sought through external grant funding applications for the project. 

The Council will develop a partnership with the Voluntary Park Action Group and BTCV Scotland to fulfil the aims and objectives of the Group and to jointly develop and deliver a Voluntary Park Management Plan.

Technical and expert support and advice will be given to the Group by the Council which will also be involved in the development and implementation of the management plan.  The routine and non-routine maintenance requirements for the site will require to be planned so that they remain within the Council’s existing revenue budget provision.

May 2006