'Neglected and abandoned' park in Renfrew tidied by robot lawn mower

We reported in June that the ‘Friends of Clydeview Park’ action group had been formed to protect a “neglected and abandoned” Ferry Village green space.

Clydeview Park was previously owned by Braehead Park Estates, but was sold in January 2024 after the firm went into liquidation, and has not been properly maintained since.

This has driven the Friends of Clydeview Park to campaign on the issue and make their voice heard. Their efforts were recently rewarded, with Renfrewshire Council agreeing to arrange a one-off tidy-up of the park despite it not being their responsibility. 

Councillor Jamie McGuire in Clydeview Park (Image: Anthony Flett)

Labour councillor Jamie McGuire, who was involved in setting up the action group, said the council “finally realised that they had to take action".

“They saw with the Friends of Clydeview Park group that we had momentum behind us, and that we had a real movement of people who are really passionate about the park.

“Things were getting so bad. They realised they couldn’t just sit by and do nothing, and that they finally had to take action.”

The hedges were trimmed into shape (Image: Supplied)

The councillor said that the work was a step in the right direction, but was only a temporary solution.

“It’s a small win, but we’ve got a long way to go,” he said. “This work is great, but it’s only a sticking plaster.

“Going forward, we need an arrangement in place to manage the area on a regular basis, because it’s been totally unacceptable the way it’s been left to rot. It can’t just be a one-off cut and then it’s forgotten.”

Maintenance workers clearing the paths (Image: Supplied)

Local resident Chris Quinn, another action group member, said that the council had done well with the maintenance, and used some “very expensive machinery” - including a robotic remote-controlled lawnmower.

“They’ve done a good job getting the park back to looking fairly presentable,” Chris said. “Already you can tell that people are spending time in the park again. It was a lot livelier over the weekend.

“They turned up with some very expensive machinery and got it turned around in a couple of days. A lot of resources were thrown at it - some big equipment arrived on site.”

The remote-controlled lawn mower (Image: Supplied)

The remote-controlled lawn mower appears to be a Bomford Turner ‘Flailbot,’ described on the manufacturer’s website as ideal for “challenging terrains".

A video on the Friends of Clydeview Park Facebook group shows the Flailbot being controlled by a maintenance worker as he walks alongside it.

A maintenance worker walks alongside the Flailbot as he controls it (Image: Supplied)

The robot lawn mower appears to be a Bomford Turner Stage V Flailbot (Image: Bomford Turner)

The Flailbot is perfect for challenging terrains (Image: Bomford Turner)

The Flailbot can be controlled remotely (Image: Bomford Turner)

It is understood that the Flailbot was used specifically for this tidy-up, and is not part of the council’s regular equipment.

The park is looking a lot tidier now (Image: Supplied)

John Shaw, SNP Renfrew councillor, said: "I was pleased to see grounds maintenance work underway this week by council contractors to tidy up Clydeview Park.

"Over the past few months, I have worked with council officers and others to ensure there is a somewhat piecemeal service in the Ferry Village area covering bins and litter, and the cutting of the roadside verges. Unfortunately, this had not covered the park itself, which I know was a huge concern for local residents.

"While it is disappointing that the new landowner appears unwilling to act on their responsibilities, I have to thank the council officers I have worked with over the past few weeks to come to this resolution. Their willingness to engage on the park will make a huge difference to local residents and those visiting the park from further afield.

"There are still many other outstanding issues due to Braehead Park Estates walking away from their responsibilities in the Ferry Village, and I will continue to work on them, but this work should hopefully improve the park."

The Friends of Clydeview Park (Image: Gordon Terris)

A spokesperson for Renfrewshire Council said: “Clydeview Park is not owned or managed by Renfrewshire Council. However, to support the local community and to address health and safety concerns and the environmental impact of overgrown hedges and grass along the river, we arranged for a one-off cut and tidy of the park.

“This has helped to improve the environment for residents living locally, but the private owners are responsible for its maintenance moving forward.”