Moray Councillor Paul McBain dismisses claims from local pensioner that overgrowth at the Thomson Memorial in Forres is encouraging litter and antisocial behaviour
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A MORAY councillor has dismissed claims from a local pensioner that overgrowth around the Thomson Memorial is encouraging antisocial behaviour.
The Castlehill resident called for the area around The Monument - also known as The Needle - to be better maintained by Moray Council, however, the local authority has no plans to cut more of the grass and weeds back than it already does.
The woman, who wishes to remain nameless, attended Forres Community Council (FCC) to raise the issue of graffiti on the memorial and the area of grassland from Brig Wynd to it.
She said: “The graffiti was quickly removed but the main problem is the “wildlife area”. People are hiding in the uncut grass behind the memorial, lots of trees have self-seeded and litter is a major problem. We are finding all sorts of rubbish. It’s an eyesore and not a suitable area to be left unattended. If it was cut back, residents could keep an eye on it.”
She added: “The trees behind now form a canopy of non-native Sycamore. Local children can’t play there any more because they’ll get ticks. There’s condoms, hypodermic needles and it’s a hang-out for low-lifes.”
Councillor Paul McBain (Forres, Conservative), postmaster at the nearby Post Office, investigated the issue himself.
His letter in reply to the complaints read out at a community council meeting pointed out that “a managed approach is now being taken”.
He said: “The area is being allowed to grow into a wildflower meadow but the grass is being cut about a metre from the edge to show a clear path. It looks good and I support it. With regards to dog fouling and graffiti, I don’t think anything has changed from when all of the grass was cut.”
A wildflower pilot was started at The Needle in the spring of 2020 aimed at increasing pollinator numbers and reducing the carbon footprint made by cutting and collecting.
FCC chairman Steve Ferris tends a plot in the Community Garden at Transition Town Forres.
He said: “The local authority Land and Parks team is following a progressive horticultural policy nowadays rather than a traditional one. This is in keeping with current trends.”
A Moray Council spokesperson confirmed their Open Spaces team maintains 45 memorials in Moray, adding: “The area at the back of the monument is part of the living lawn project. It is managed for wildlife which means there is far less cutting done here. This is a wildflower area, which helps improve the biodiversity of the site, and it is cut down in the autumn by which time the flowers will have had the chance to drop their seeds for regeneration.”
