Power to Powrie: Park Project Perfects Parking
A crucial upgrade to Powrie Park's car park in Abernethy, Perth and Kinross, has significantly improved accessibility to this well-used community greenspace, thanks to £6,800 from the Binn Wind Turbine Community Fund.
The grant has transformed the previously dilapidated 640-square-metre Powrie Park car park (pictured below, before work was carried out) into a safe, durable, well-used parking area serving the village's 1,390 residents and visitors from surrounding areas.
Powrie Park, gifted to the Abernethy community in 1929 as a memorial to a young local girl, has long served as the community's recreational heart.
The park hosts an impressive range of facilities including children's play equipment, an outdoor gym, football pitch, tennis courts, and a pavilion, whilst providing access to vital paths and cycle routes.
The upgraded car park will support the extensive range of community activities underway, including twice-weekly Scout meetings, regular fitness and pilates sessions, football club gatherings, tennis club activities, and even dog training. The local primary school also utilises the facilities for outdoor learning and sports days.
The improvement works, completed by a local family-run firm with 40 years' experience, are expected to provide reliable access to the park for at least the next 30 years. The new surface significantly enhances accessibility for elderly visitors, wheelchair users, and families with pushchairs, addressing previous concerns about safety during wet weather conditions. This investment builds upon recent improvements to the pavilion, including kitchen replacement, shower upgrades, and decoration works, demonstrating ongoing commitment to enhancing this vital community asset.
A spokesperson for the Scout Group, which manages the pavilion and car park through a lease agreement with Perth and Kinross Council, commented on the project's impact:
We are delighted with the car park at Powrie park as it allows for ample parking for all using Powrie Park or the surrounding area. Thanks to the Binn wind Farm and Foundation Scotland for the grant and to ASAP contractors for the fantastic work they carried out.
The Binn Wind Turbine Community Fund, administered by Foundation Scotland, channels funding generated from community-owned turbines on the Binn Eco Park site. One of the Fund's main aims is to maintain and develop community facilities whilst encouraging community activity and reducing inequalities. This project is a great example of how community benefit funds from renewable energy can deliver practical improvements that enhance quality of life in rural communities like Abernethy.