THE return of a playpark at the putting green on Rothesay’s Esplanade after around 40 years has moved a step closer after council officials granted planning permission.
The proposal by Bute Business Improvement District includes an inclusive trampoline, a basket swing, a four-person seesaw and a double play tower with a slide.
It proposed to replace seven holes on the 28-hole putting green, with Argyll and Bute Council expressing a wish to retain at least nine holes to allow putting to continue.
The council has now given the plans the go-ahead, with no representations expressing support or objection received from the public during the planning process.
Funding was allocated for the project during the 2021/22 financial year, with a play area at the site having closed down after a decline in tourism during the 1980s.
A council officer said in a handling report: “The location of the play park is considered to be appropriate as it would be easily accessible by foot from Victoria Street and from the promenade and would be immediately adjacent to a public shelter thereby allowing family members to be in close proximity.
“It would not be a visually prominent feature given the presence of the aforementioned public shelter to the north; a sizeable, raised flower bed to the east; and the Cabbies Rest kiosk to the south-east.
“The type of equipment is what one would expect in a play park and the boundary railings are suitably designed with the distinctive ‘Rothesay Blue’.
“The applicant states that the proposed play park would remove seven of the current 28 holes, which would still ensure that adequate space and holes were left for the putting to continue in the future whilst adding a new recreational activity for families to enjoy on the Esplanade.
“Based on the information that has been submitted, the play park would be an ancillary component to the putting green and would provide a complementary form of outdoor recreational space.
“Its formation would involve the loss of a quarter of the number of holes but sufficient open space would remain to ensure that the future operation of the putting green would not be compromised.”
The report added: “Both the existing putting green and the proposed play area would fall within the ‘leisure’ category of development so there is notionally no intensification in the demand for parking.
“This conclusion has been affirmed by the area roads engineer, who has no objections to the development.”
