Boys' Football Team Can't Play on Patna Park

Aug 22 2008

A BOYS’ football team have been told they can’t use the village park for home matches.

Doon Valley Colts 14s this week tried to book the park for a match.

But East Ayrshire Council told them they can’t have it for 14 weeks.

The council is carrying out test bores, to see if the park at Patna is suitable for a new school.

Villager Willie Stevenson said: “I think it’s totally out of order. We don’t know what’s going on.”

The former community council chairman said the young team was proving popular in the village, especially as there is no adult Patna Amateurs at the moment.

Willie pointed out: “The park was given to the village over a century ago. It’s used for gala days as well as football.”

Ex-councillor Tom Hainey agreed: “The park was gifted to this village – not to East Ayrshire Council.

“It’s not theirs to build on – it’s for leisure and recreational use.”

Mr Hainey said people in the village are suspicious of what the council is up to.

He said: “We fear the council could sell the school to a developer and build a new school on the park with the money. But that just wouldn’t be right.

“The existing school site could be re-developed.”

Councillor Elaine Dinwoodie said: “This has been badly handled by the council.

“It might have been courtesy to inform people who use the park.

“And maybe give them a little help to find alternative venues.”

Councillor Dinwoodie said she, like the villagers, had no advance warning of the test bores.

Councillor Drew Filson agreed, saying: “There should have been consultation before diggers moved on to the park.”

East Ayrshire Council had made no official reply to the Post’s request for a comment as we went to press this week.

But Councillor Dinwoodie said there had been a generous offer from the Doon Valley’s junior football team Craigmark Burntonians, offering Patna Under-14s the use of Station Park, Dalmellington.