Residents in New Cumnock are worried about the state of a key path which connects three streets in the village and is well-used by parents and school children, branding it “dangerous” and a health and safety hazard.
Residents claim the path, which links Glenafton Drive, Steale Head Avenue, Hamilton Drive and leads on to Lime Road, and acts as one of the main walking routes for New Cumnock PS, was due to be resurfaced by the council.
However when workers arrived recently, it was claimed that they did not have enough gravel to cover the path.
Instead, it has been left in a half-done condition, making it particularly hard for parents with buggies to cross.
One man said: “I offered to do it myself if they left gravel but the guys weren’t even given enough gravel to cover it. The council are saying it’s not their ground but loads of mums and dads use this path to get to school and it has been left like that. It’s been like that for as long as I can remember.
“The main path is thick with muck so it’s either that or the mums trek away up to the top of the street and back on the way home from school.”
Residents say there are also live cables running along the path which an elderly woman has fallen over.
They fear the cables will become loose in time, and are calling for this to be addresse, too.
The man continued: “Surely in 2021 this can’t be allowed where children walk? That cable has been hanging out for years, and the chips aren’t even set.
“Weans come and go from here walking and on their bikes. That cable’s going to be back out the ground in weeks.”
One woman, whose teen nearly went “head first” over his bike on the path in question “because of the stuff the council has down”, added: “It’s not practical. The [buggy] wheels are getting stuck worse than they were.
“The cables are dangerous as well. One of my relatives fell there a few weeks back and she’s a fair age. It really needs sorted properly.”
East Ayrshire Council claim that they do not own the land and that according to records, Shire Housing are responsible for the area and the path in question.
When approached for comment, Shire Housing said they do not own the land nor are they responsible for the maintenance of the path.
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