Bottles and trash are scarring recently cleared landscape at the new William Wilson Park on St. Monica's Road in Pembroke disturbing the site of a new community programme that intends to beautify the area.

Yesterday, Environment Minister Neletha Butterfield, expressed disappointment that the progress of the project was being hampered by inconsiderate litterbugs who were making the park their personal dumping ground.

"The good news is that a third of the work has been completed and is on schedule and on track for an early January opening," she said. "The bad news is that the dumping of trash and bottles on-site on an almost daily basis is delaying contractors and is most disheartening. It is disheartening because a considerable amount of money is being invested in creating a new park for the St. Monica's community."

The park is the first project of the Ministry's Community Areas Programme to enhance the area. Part of plans to set up the park include inviting local artists to design a sculpture for the park.

"It staggers me to think that the response of some in the area is to use the park site as a handy dumping ground," the Minister said. "There is no excuse or good reason for it. We have twice weekly trash collection and the public dump site at Tynes Bay is five minutes up the road."

Ms Butterfield made a plea to the community.

"Let's take this opportunity to encourage a sense of ownership and a sense of pride," she said, asked the neighbours to be vigilant and to report those they see dumping trash on their new park.

Major Kenneth Dill, president of the North Village Community Trust, which is working on development programmes for young people in the area, said the issue had been discussed at a recent meeting of the executive trust.

"The executive is equally concerned," confirmed Major Dill, "and we will be delivering letters to all the nearby residents appealing to them to refrain from dumping," he said.

In spite of the dumping, the project designers are moving ahead with plans to beautify the park.

On November 25 Souhaila Sarkis of Linberg and Simmons ? the landscape architect for the project ? circulated a request for proposals to about a dozen local artists inviting them to submit designs for a sculpture that will have pride of place in the park.

The sculpture should be designed to be both a visual piece and an interactive play structure for the young and the young at heart.

The winning piece will sit on a 12 foot diameter concrete slab and should be about eight feet in height. The proposals will be presented at a residents' meeting scheduled for 16th December.

Ms Butterfield said it was too early to tell how many applications will be submitted by neighbourhoods seeking to be the next to benefit from the Ministry's Community Areas Programme. The closing date for entries is December 10.

Four advertisements were placed in the daily newspaper along with eight application forms. The Minister reminded would-be applicants that the committee will be looking for proposals of substance that address a broad range of environmental and social issues. "We are looking for opportunities to design and implement a true neighbourhood improvement plan in close co-operation with the local residents," said Ms Butterfield.