Clydebank man raises fears over condition of Dalmuir Park

Stuart Neville told the Post that he visits Dalmuir Park daily and has noticed “yards of pitting and potholes” in the road surface.

Stuart is worried that pitting in the road surface could become a 'trip hazard' (Image: Newsquest Staff)The 70-year-old said that apart from looking “scruffy” these areas of tarmac need to be repaired as they have the “potential to be trip hazards”.

A section of road through Dalmuir Park (Image: Stuart Neville)He added: “We’ve lived in Dalmuir most of our lives and we’ve been going to the park for years. Every day when I go through I notice areas where the place looks really scruffy and run down or it’s starting to look scruffy and run down.

“My two main concerns are the state of the roads through the park which are quite badly pitted and potholed and also the state of the fountain, which looked great when it was restored around ten years ago but now looks tatty.

“The roads are supposed to just be for council traffic, and apart from the odd Network Rail vehicle there shouldn’t be anything else going in there.

“So I’m not quite sure why if it’s only council traffic, which I imagine is quite limited, that the roads are in such a bad state.

“Some of it is really obvious, we’re not talking about little tiny potholes we’re talking about yards of pitting in the road surface.

“It worries me that apart from looking bad someone could trip or fall over one of them.”

Two pictures of the fountain in Dalmuir Park. One was taken immediately after it was restored in 2013 and the other was taken in 2024. (Image: Stuart Neville)Dalmuir Park is owned and maintained by West Dunbartonshire Council (WDC). Between 2012 and 2013 the park was restored as part of a major project jointly funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and the council.

It is understood that the local authority spends £150,000 annually to maintain the park. 

Damage to the fountain (Image: Stuart Neville)Stuart explained that he understands that the council is facing financial challenges however he doesn’t believe parks and outdoor spaces should be left to become “run down”.

Damage to a section of grass at the park (Image: Newsquest staff)The Dalmuir resident also highlighted other areas he feels are in need of maintenance at the beauty spot including much of the restoration work, damage to the grass, and the tunnel under the railway which is plagued with graffiti.

The tunnel under the railway line at Dalmuir (Image: Stuart Neville)

He said: “I perfectly understand the budget problems that they’ve [WDC] got. I suppose some people might think that the parks should be a low priority but I think they’re very important, as we saw during lockdown.

“They’re important for people’s physical and mental wellbeing. I don’t think you can just put the parks at the bottom of the list for spending money.

“It’s a very well-used park and always busy. I feel that it’s a valuable local resource and we need to keep on top of the maintenance of these places even when money is tight.

“The fountain was all restored around ten years ago, it looked absolutely gorgeous then and now after only ten years it’s looking really tatty.

“I was looking at it the other day when I was taking some pictures of it and noticed there are some things you could do straight away like clearing away the moss and weeds.

“I’ve got no criticism for the staff who look after the park, they’re tremendous but it’s the lack of maintenance that concerns me.”

A West Dunbartonshire Council spokesperson said: "The council invests £150,000 annually to maintain Dalmuir Park and works to repair potholes and maintain the fountain is ongoing.

"The damage to the grass verges within the park is caused by users of electrical bikes and scooters and Anti-Social Behaviour Officers will increase patrol around the park."