Complaints about happenings at the Amanath Centre park have overshadowed the positives it has created.
Some shop owners and residents have complained bitterly about the so-called abuse of the park by certain adults, sparking a division in opinion among those in the area.
One business owner said matters raised could have an influence on the health of residents.
Among concerns, she mentioned the multitude of people guilty of public urination, men washing their feet in the drinking fountain, and the lack of security at the park.
“We shouldn’t actually be letting our children play there.”
Others operating business at the Amanath Centre said they had also witnessed such behaviour, adding there had been a recent rise in the number of street children hanging about.
This she blamed on a lack of supervision at the park.
An elderly resident said while he had not actually witnessed anything people complained about, he was disgusted with the trend of men to urinate at the centre’s postboxes.
“I have never even seen a security guard at the park, except for one positioned at the library.”
The division of opinion can be seen on the Facebook page of Newcastle’s mayor, Afzul Rehman, and from the mouth of certain residents in the vicinity of the Amanath Centre park.
Among comments from these residents, were that the park looked lovely and children enjoyed playing there.
While she believed matters brought up were most likely accurate, the resident said the positive atmosphere at the park and the benefit to the community were great.
However, she found the lack of security at the park disconcerting.
Although no official municipal comment was received, Cllr Rehman’s Facebook page hinted at the possibility of erecting a toilet facility and hiring a security guard in the near future.
