CAMPAIGNERS have called on residents living near the Meadows to voice their concerns over damage caused to the parkland by major events.

Preservation group Friends of the Meadows has called a public meeting with the city's head of parks and local councillors to outline an action plan for next summer's activities.

It follows "extensive damage" caused by events held this year, including the charity MoonWalk and the Lady Boys of Bangkok stage show.

It is claimed construction vehicles used to put up giant marquees and large numbers of caravans on the site have led to the damage. With the summer's heavy rainfall, large areas of the park were left waterlogged and, five months on, the damage remains.

The campaigners are calling for the council to produce an "agreement" to prevent this summer's problems happening again.

They want to limit the number of major events allowed to take place in the Meadows, cap how long they last and see them properly policed to ensure organisers adhere to regulations designed to protect the land. Peng Lee Yap, chairman of Friends of the Meadows, said although the council has carried out restoration work since the damage occurred, it was so severe that it probably won't recover until next spring.

He added: "We need to have recognition [from the council] that this year there was extensive damage to the Meadows leading to some parts being unusable for months or not being pleasant to use. We have to have an agreement to stop this happening again."

Committee member Hilary McDowell, who lives in Newington, said: "The area has been over-exploited by various groups. It has become obvious that the triangle to the east of Middle Meadow Walk can't sustain the battering it has taken."

Meadows and Morningside Green councillor Alison Johnstone said: "More and more people have been bringing this to my attention. We should be looking for improvements and seeing how we can introduce them."

A city council spokesman said: "The unseasonably bad weather throughout the summer has made the ground more prone to damage and more difficult to repair.

"We do take this seriously and are very happy to listen to suggestions."

The meeting takes place at the Meadows Croquet Club in Leven Terrace on Monday 12th November at 7.30pm.

Too many shows 'turn Meadows into mudbath'