Council officials have been encouraged to make more use of people undergoing community sentences in Helensburgh to keep the area’s public spaces in shape.
Fiona Baker, formerly chair of the Friends of Hermitage Park, said she had tried to get people serving such sentences to assist.
However, Argyll and Bute Council has said that it is unable to do so.
The initial discussion took place at a meeting of the council’s Helensburgh and Lomond Community Planning Group yesterday.
Ms Baker told the meeting: “When I was involved with Hermitage Park, we would have liked to use people on community sentences, but the council said this was not possible as it would threaten council jobs.
“Looking at the plan, if people are offered the opportunity to come out of prison or do community sentences, to me things like helping in Colquhoun Square or Hermitage Park are useful.
“They mean that people are facing the public and placed in the community.
“With all the financial constraints on the council, it seems sensible to invite people with community sentences on rehabilitation to be able to do that?”
An Argyll and Bute Council spokesperson said: “The council does all it can to protect the services that matter to everyone, but with funding cuts, we can’t do everything communities would like us to.
“We are very grateful for the valuable work that volunteers do.
“We’re not in a position to bring in community service teams to do the scheduled work of employees.
“However, if groups have specific projects that would benefit from such support, we would encourage them to seek help.
“This may then free up council workers to concentrate on delivering the services that matter to our communities.”
Amazing! The council freely admit that they cannot do everything that is required by communities but will not use what is effectively free labour to make up the shortfall. Just how many jobs would be lost in the council by adopting this policy?
I guess none.