THE PARTY'S OVER!
THE sight of people lounging on public seats in the centre of Forfar drinking alcohol during the day looks likely to become a thing of the past.
At this month's meeting (August) of Forfar Community Council, chairman Mrs Isobel Ross said she had seen and heard locals and visitors alike discussing the new seating areas at the Cross and refusing to use them because of the antics of a group which now frequents the area.
She said: "I never see any locals or visitors using the new seats because of the antics of certain individuals.
"They are drinking up the Royal pend, up the pend at Woolies (now Alworths) and on the streets. Where does it stop?"
However, Angus Councillor Colin Brown intimated the party could soon be over for those using the Cross as a place to meet and drink and warned there will be "a lot of people not happy."
What is proposed is a no drinking zone covering most of the town centre. It encompasses an area starting at the British Legion and running along St James Road, down Dundee Loan, Craig O'Loch Road and round Lochside Road to the Pound Shop on the Corner of Brechin Road, along Market Street and back along North Street.
He said: "Drinking in public will be prohibited in these areas, but it won't happen tomorrow."
Complaints
In welcoming the news, Mrs Ross added: "The quicker this happens, the better. I have had a lot of complaints and I have been disgusted sometimes when I come along Castle Street and see these people who don't care how they act.
"They sit there with their bikes, with their dogs, they sit and eat their pies and their take aways and won't even walk to the bin to put their rubbish in. They are all over the town and I think a strong line needs to be taken.
"It has been a horrendous summer. They are lying on the seats, sitting on the back of the sitting area with their feet on the seat. Who will sit on the seats like that? Something has to be done and I feel it has got out of hand this summer.
"It's anti-social behaviour, right in the middle of the town centre. We have a new town centre but very few of the locals have had the chance to use it.
"Somebody said to me last week 'was it purpose built for a certain element?'"
Embarrassing
Members agreed the situation was embarrassing, especially when there are visitors to the town in Castle Street.
Mrs Ross added: "We have buses using the two bus bays in the Greens bringing people to the town. I've heard people saying 'it's a lovely day, we could have a seat but I don't fancy sitting there.'
"What's that doing to the image of the town?
"There are conscientious people in the town centre and they are being denied."
When asked for an up-date on the timescale for the introduction of an alcohol free-zone for Forfar town centre, a spokesperson for Angus Council said: "A byelaw such as this takes some time to come into effect once an area has been identified as in the Forfar situation. The proposed byelaw area in respect of Forfar was finalised at a meeting on July 27.
"A report and plan of the proposed area will go before the licensing board for approval in due course. If approved the matter will then require to be considered by Angus Council, as only the council has power to agree to make byelaws.
"Following this, the draft byelaws will be submitted to the Scottish Government for approval and if agreed, formal consultation will be undertaken with the Procurator Fiscal, Tayside Police and the proposed byelaws will be advertised in local newspapers for public consultation. Any comments from the consultees will be brought back to the council for further consideration.
"The introduction or the extension of existing byelaw areas, prohibiting the consumption of alcohol in public, has been under consideration not only in Forfar but in all the burgh towns in Angus.
This local consultation period is due to come to an end and this will allow full proposals and recommendations to be put to the licensing board, for all the burgh towns, prior to submission to the council".
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Weather for Forfar
Thursday 09 February 2012
Today
Light rain
Temperature: 2 C to 5 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: South west
Tomorrow
Light rain
Temperature: 3 C to 5 C
Wind Speed: 6 mph
Wind direction: South west
