Funding to cut some of a Moray town’s most unkempt grass areas could be taken from a Common Good pot.
With popular Buckie parks and fields becoming overgrown with weeds due to budget cuts in the region, community leaders have been trying to come up with a solution to address the situation.
Complaints have risen about the state of places such as Ian Johnstone Park and Strathlene, especially with the summer holidays now in full swing.
But now, Buckie councillors are looking at using Common Good funding and private donations to maintain the popular grassy areas.
However, they must first wait to hear back from council officers about how much it would cost to cut the grass.
Buckie councillor and conservative group leader Tim Eagle insisted that they need to act quickly before some of the areas become completely unmanageable.
He said: “The kids are off school now, so I’ve received endless complaints about the grass growing overlong and being full of dog mess, ticks and litter.
“There has been so many bad cuts and although this isn’t the worst one, it affects everyone and dents people’s sense of pride in where they live.
>> Keep up to date with the latest news with The P&J newsletter
“At the moment, we are looking at using the Common Good fund to keep the grass down along with private funding.
“We’ve never hidden the fact it is possible to dip in and maybe take £1,000 out to get the grass done during the summer holidays.”
Common Good is money that is ring-fenced for use by the community to benefit them and is controlled by local councillors.
Independent Buckie councillor Gordon Cowie thanked volunteers for their work at keeping the grass at bay and vowed to do all he can to support them.
He said: “The grass at the moment in Buckie is terrible and I have been trying different angles to get prices to sort it, but cannot get a price.
“It’s incredible we are penny-pinching for grass-cutting.
“We will dip into the Common Good if that’s what it takes, but we cannot keep doing that and we need to come up with a sustainable solution.”
