NEW public benches have been installed in Uplawmoor after concerns were raised over the condition of existing seating in the village.

A number of villagers approached Uplawmoor Community Council about the issue last year.

That led to community council members identifying several benches that were in a state of disrepair and situated in areas that were overgrown.

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These included a memorial bench paying tribute to the memory of local resident John E.V. Ward, erected in 1992, along with three others at Castburn Path, The Glen and opposite Spunkie Cottage.

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A grant worth £3,340 was then secured from the National Lottery Community Fund Scotland to replace all of the benches, with the new seating now installed around the village.

The dilapidated benches have been replaced with eco-friendly, recycled plastic earth anchor benches, which are low maintenance and benefit from a long lifespan.

Ross Leggat, secretary of Uplawmoor Community Council, said: “We’ve recently been out installing the village’s four new benches.

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“The security bolts on the existing benches on the Castburn Path and The Glen have corroded to the frame and we weren’t convinced we could get them out without damaging the benches.

“Given our plans to reuse them, we’ve left them in place for now.

“With The Glen bench, we’re likely to renovate in situ and we’ll chat to the council about options for the Castburn Path one.

“We’re grateful to the National Lottery Community Fund Scotland funding that allowed this project to go ahead and hope we all get good use out of the new seating in the future.”