Councillor Danny Devlin led a walk-around the streets of the residential area on Friday, June 12, alongside housing officials and community activists.

The future of a run down play park on Fenwick Drive in Barrhead is now in doubt, after one resident remarked that it had simply been “abandoned”.

Brian Connelly, a prominent community volunteer and member of Auchenback Active, said he had concerns over the park and litter in the area.

He said: “Some of the litter around these wheelie bins and on the street is getting a bit out of hand and we would like to see something done about it, it’s one of the things that I wanted to show to Cllr Devlin.” Brian, also a Fenwick Drive residents, also raised a number of other issues, including the future of the last playpark in “upper Auchenback”.

He asked Cllr Devlin: “What is happening with the playpark there, it seems to have been abandoned and it isn’t much of a playpark anyway, there are only two swings in it.” Currently the park has a swing frame with two sets of swings and a climbing frame, with empty spaces where a slide and a number of other play objects used to be.

It has been in a state of decline for years, and has not seen any form of update since the 1980s.

Cllr Devlin said that he was not sure what was happening with the park in the long term, but said he would look in to it.

However, a number of positive improvements in the area were raised at the walkabout, which took place around noon in blazing sunshine.

Cllr Devlin was quick to praise the improvements that had been made in the area, thanks to East Renfrewshire Council’s mixed tenure scheme and a dedicated housing hit squad.

The squad is recruited from local jobseekers, and they maintain gardens, streets and common closes in building occupied by both council tenants and private owners and lets.

Cllr Devlin said: “So many residents who’ve benefited from the scheme have told us how much of a difference it’s made, with more people taking pride in their shared areas now they’ve been cleaned and spruced up.

“It’s a fantastic programme and has really blazed a trail.

“The benefits are clear to see here in Auchenback, but there are always improvements to be made and that is why we have these monthly walk-rounds.”