Largs letter: Clyde Muirshiel is 'potential candidate for upgrade'

Dear sir,

Regarding the recent Largs and Millport News story regarding the state of the picnic site and paths towards Outerwards, North Ayrshire Council withdrew and stopped any financial contribution to the Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park administration a few years ago which led to the Park joint administration being dissolved.

See recent story - here.

Each of the three councils, Inverclyde, Renfrewshire and North Ayrshire took over responsibility for Park Assets in their respective areas.

The Regional Park boundary includes most of North Ayrshire north of West Kilbride and significant areas within Inverclyde and Renfrewshire.

However in North Ayrshire little of the land is in public ownership. Areas such as this at Outerwards and the Haylie Brae carpark, viewpoint and picnic area (which is also degrading), both on privately owned grounds, fall into a grey area with no public body or organisation seeming to accept any responsibility for ongoing maintenance.

North Ayrshire appears to be concentrating its limited resources mainly at Eglinton Park in Irvine and seems to have stopped support of any recreational areas not in public ownership, while the Regional Park, not having any funding from North Ayrshire, now appears to be focussing it’s efforts in Renfrewshire where it is based.

Perhaps something our local councillors and MSP should re-visit with urgency. Only a few months ago Kenneth Gibson spoke in the Scottish Parliament on proposals to create a new National Park in Scotland, as Clyde Muirshiel is the largest Regional Park in the Country, it must be a potential candidate for upgrade yet we are now in a situation where cash strapped councils cannot even support ongoing maintenance.

Ian Dippie

Largs