A CONSTRUCTION company has been slammed for the “unusable state” of a local park in Dunfermline.

Residents have been waiting on the completion of improvement work at Headwell Park for two and a half years.

Councillor Auxi Barrera said: “After the local elections in May 2022, I was contacted by several residents regarding the poor state of the park.

“The issue stems from I&H Brown, who were responsible for work on the park. They subcontracted another company to carry out the work, but unfortunately, the subcontractor left the land in an unacceptable condition, and as a result, the council cannot take ownership of the park, leaving the community with a space they cannot enjoy.

“Residents’ complaints include uneven ground, large rocks, holes, patches and an area of the park that flood and become smelly after rain. These conditions have made it impossible for the community to safely use and enjoy the park."

Cllr Barrera has now sought legal advice over the issue. She said: "It is unacceptable that residents are still unable to access and enjoy their own park. They have shown great patience, but it’s time for this work to be completed.”

(Image: David Wardle)

I & H Brown representative David Barr responded: “There is an ongoing issue, there’s no doubt about that. We’re not shying away from the fact that it’s our responsibility to fix.

“We’re trying to get this issue resolved, which involves getting the grass back to a suitable standard for the council to take it back over. We’ve said we’ll undertake this within the next couple of weeks, and we’ll view to see if we’re in a position to hand it back.

“We’re not aware of issues over flooding or adverse smells.”

The company have been in contact with Fife Council and hope to resume work on the park this week, depending on weather restrictions.

The council's estates and assets service manager, Michael O'Gorman, said: "The area has been levelled and reseeded, but some work is still needed to bring it up to standard before it can be handed back to the council. 

"We're continuing to liaise with I &H Brown about the work and their contractors will maintain the area until the outstanding improvements are made."