Scottish Borders play park proposal defence delivered

A council has defended plans that would see "obsolete" play parks closed down.

The Scottish Borders local authority said it would invest £5m in its parks, which currently number 243 of "variable size and quality".

It said the number of parks it managed was three times the national average for every 1,000 school children.

A statement said that even after plans to remove equipment from 74 sites in the "poorest condition", the majority of parks would still be retained.

The council said it was open to communities taking over maintenance of any areas facing closure.

It has encouraged locals to get in touch before consultation on the move closes on 19 August.

Council leader Shona Haslam said there had been a "lot of discussions and comments in local communities" since the plans were announced.

"By reducing our overall number of play parks, but still retaining significantly more than the national average, we can make sure our remaining facilities are maintained to the highest standard," she said.