Concept designs have been released showing how Angus Council aims to restore the shine to a jewel in the county’s tourist crown.
On Thursday, councillors will get their first chance to view outline plans of how £500,000 could be spent on Arbroath’s West Links after the June announcement of the six-figure funding package for the seafront stretch.
The project is set to go out to public consultation and officers have drawn up plans of how the upgrade might look, incorporating play features designed with a distinctly local flavour.
In a joint committee report, the heads of neighbourhood and infrastructure services say a key element of the scheme is to move the play area closer to car parking at Queen’s Drive and the existing tourist features including trampolines and the mini car racing track.
“The West Links is a popular and extensive recreation area which has been very successful in the past, providing a wide range of leisure facilities for the local community, visitors and tourists to Angus,” states the report.
The relocated play area would sit between the paddling pool and Queen’s Drive with a focal point being a bespoke three metre-high climbing wall designed to resemble parts of the Seaton cliffs. Well-known features such as the Deil’s Heid and the Needle’s Ee will be recreated in coloured concrete, similar in look to the local red sandstone.
“The play area adjacent will be developed as an inclusive play area for children of all ages and abilities with some equipment also for the use of smaller children under five years,” adds the committee report.
Grass bunding will be increased to shelter families from the wind and there are plans to create a new path between the play area and promenade to offer an elevated view of the coast.
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“While it would be ideal to enclose the play area with fencing for security reasons and to control access by dogs to the area this provision, at an estimated cost of £75,000, is not included in the current proposal due to budget constraints,” continues the report.
“However external funding opportunities are being investigated and if this can be sourced then the fencing will be provided and would have laser cut artwork attached in selected sections, which could be designed in collaboration with local schoolchildren.”
Angus neighbourhood services convener and Arbroath Councillor Jim Millar has given his backing to the proposal ahead of Thursday’s meeting.
“This is a really exciting project that will reinvigorate the West Links, an area that is a huge asset to Arbroath,” he said. “The concept designs show how we intend to highlight identifiable features of Arbroath.
“This up-to-date type of play area appeals to toddlers and teens so has the potential to attract even more people to the area. I’ll be asking the other members of the committee to join me in backing the plans. We can then get on with a consultation to get the public’s input into the final designs.”
Mr Millar said that if the outline proposals get the committee green light then public consultation will take place next month, followed by a planning application in November.
He added: “All being well we should be able to tender for the £500k project in January. The proposed timetable has work starting on site in May to avoid the worst of the weather on this really exposed site, with a September 2012 finish date.”
Earlier this year the council also launched a public/private partnership with two key businesses Kerr’s miniature railway and the West Links cafe in an effort to build on their success and enhance the area’s tourism product.
It is hoped this will lead to an extension of Kerr’s line to broaden the appeal of Scotland’s oldest miniature railway.