Two Stewartry communities could be in line for new play parks.
The council has been allocated nearly £1.5 million from the Scottish Government for upgrading the region’s play parks over the next three years.
And officials are suggesting the money is used to create 10 new inclusive play areas – with one in Dalbeattie and another in Gatehouse.
Councillors will be asked to back the bid at the communities committee on Tuesday.
The Scottish Government announced last week it had agreed to allocate £50 million to local authorities for refurbishing play areas, with Dumfries and Galloway’s share of the pot coming in at £1.456m.
That’s on top of £286,000 it was given for the past two years which is allocated to replacing equipment across the region, including in Crocketford, Dalbeattie, Gatehouse, Kirkcudbright and Dundrennan.
In recent years, the council has been working with community groups to develop seven inclusive play areas across the region, with one at Lochside Park in Castle Douglas due to be up and running in the summer.
Following the latest funding allocation, senior community assets manager Karen Brownlie is recommending the creation of a further 10 facilities “to ensure the positive impacts of inclusive play area and auxiliary developments can be wider spread across our region”.
An initial five projects are up for approval, including one at Garries Park in Gatehouse and another in Colliston Park in Dalbeattie.
Both sites are felt to be easily accessible and could replace an existing play area, with car parks close by and the option to install a changing places toilet.
And both towns have a group which has previously hinted they would be interested in developing an inclusive play area.
However, due to the time needing for “consulting, developing and applying for funding to refurbish and upgrade a play area”, it’s felt unlikely communities will be ready to develop their plans during 2023/24, with the work expected to progress in the following two years.
