Putting green could make a welcome return to Woodhead Park

9 Oct 2006

A recent consultation on landscaping proposals for Woodhead Park has been well received by local people, with huge support for the return of a putting green.

Almost 120 people responded to the consultation carried out by Kirkintilloch’s Initiative (KI) and East Dunbartonshire Council on their plans to improve the park over the next three to five years. Local people were very positive about the designs, with the majority of them agreeing to the proposals or rating the plans as good.

The majority of people agreed with the proposed new location for a play park, which will be easily overlooked, and benefit from street lighting on Lenzie Road. They felt that proposals for a new civic space were a good idea and the plans for an enhanced footpath network around the park were good.

The Ornamental Gardens and Woodland area were considered to be areas of Woodhead Park that people would like to see retained and upgraded.

Plans to separate the park from the surrounding roads and car parking by using low landscaping mounds were also rated highly and people indicated that they had no objection to this being done in parallel with the leisure centre construction work.

Duncan Hamilton, Project Director for Kirkintilloch’s Initiative, is very pleased with the responses to the consultation. He said:
“It’s good to see so many people taking an interest in the park. We take people’s views very seriously and are keen to develop a park that can be used by everybody in the community.

“We know that the old putting green was popular and I am delighted that we may be able to bring putting back to the park, in addition to all the other sport and recreation opportunities that the new leisure centre will bring.

“We have had strong support for our plans. Local people have also asked that we give important consideration to lighting and security measures like CCTV and we will make sure that these concerns are considered.”

KI Board member, Cllr Rhondda Geekie, commented:
"I am delighted at the large response to the consultation. Involving the community throughout every project has been very worthwhile and it has produced improvements at every stage. People have told me how much they have appreciated being asked for their views."

KI and East Dunbartonshire Council will now adapt the draft plans taking account of the responses to the consultation exercise. These will then form the basis for funding bids and detailed design work which will take place over the next 6 – 9 months.

In the short term the plans and the results of the consultation exercise will be used as a context for work associated with the new Leisure Centre such as the design of the landscaping measures, the replacement of the play park and new footpath network.