A PLAY park in Menstrie continues to serve as a battleground between residents and developers.

The site at Rowan Crescent was fenced off earlier this year with a retrospective planning application recently submitted to Clackmannanshire Council to seek permission.

The planning application has received nearly a dozen objections from disgruntled nearby residents and comes after earlier attempts to build houses on the park.

In his objection, resident Mike Marriott said: "I wish to strongly object to this planning application on the grounds that this area was secured as a play area and public amenity under planning with a Section 75 agreement.

"Fencing this off removes this area from being a public open space and has become and will remain an eyesore.

"This park is the only amenity this side of the Hazel Avenue and it would be hazardous for young children having to cross this road to get to the nearest play area."

He added: "The applicant's ultimate aim is to build on this land for profit, this being the first stage and by allowing the closure would set a [precedent] and the other two play parks would be at risk as well."

The applicant, a Mr Jim or James Kerr, was contacted by the Advertiser for a reply.

He deferred to his planning consultant, but ultimately neither provided a statement.

Having inquired with the council, the Advertiser understands the Section 75 agreement has no relevance in respect of play area provision in the housing development.

However, it is also understood that any proposed change of use of the play area, or indeed the erection of physical structures, would require planning permission.

Other objectors sought to point out that it has been the Menstrie Mains Residents' Association and its members who have been keeping the play park tidy, not the owner.

That continued until they were denied access by the fencing, which was said to be erected in January this year.

Some have accused the current owner and applicant of attempting to wear down opposition against any future applications to turn the play park into housing.

A planning application had been submitted to build one house at the play park in 2018, but was later withdrawn.

A year earlier a different applicant, the then owner, sought to divide the land into two plots to erect two houses.

This application was also withdrawn after planning officers advised councillors that it should be rejected.

Committee papers at the time said: "The proposals would replace a valuable amenity space and play area serving local residents with a development which would not positively enhance the site or its surrounding townscape."

The same papers revealed how Greenbelt, the company that used to own the land and used to charge residents for maintaining communal areas, sold the play park on auction.

This came after suffering a defeat at the Lands Tribunal of Scotland over the validity of the maintenance arrangements on a "relatively narrow and technical issue".