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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| Glasgow residents' final fight to save North Kelvin Meadow from bulldozer | Glasgow residents' final fight to save North Kelvin Meadow from bulldozer |
| (about 1 month later) | |
| Volunteers in Glasgow have reacted angrily to plans to build luxury homes on land currently occupied by community gardens and woodland, which they say breaches the council's own policies on using "stalled land". | Volunteers in Glasgow have reacted angrily to plans to build luxury homes on land currently occupied by community gardens and woodland, which they say breaches the council's own policies on using "stalled land". |
| Organisers of the North Kelvin Meadow Campaign said that the proposals, which would see 90 properties built on the site off Clouston Street in the north west of the city, would destroy an important and well-used green space. | Organisers of the North Kelvin Meadow Campaign said that the proposals, which would see 90 properties built on the site off Clouston Street in the north west of the city, would destroy an important and well-used green space. |
| Their challenge is to build up momentum at the most awkward time of the year: Christmas and New Year. The council deadline for comments to the planning application is January 1 for general reaction and January 5 for local residents – the end of the festive holiday period. | Their challenge is to build up momentum at the most awkward time of the year: Christmas and New Year. The council deadline for comments to the planning application is January 1 for general reaction and January 5 for local residents – the end of the festive holiday period. |
| The site, which formerly housed football pitches and a tennis court, had been derelict until local residents took it over in 1993, sewing grass seed and planting trees. The area now contains raised-bed gardens, a wild meadow and a small wood – home to a 40 fruit trees amongst the 400 trees now growing there, a colony of bats and rare Dactylorhiza and Epipactis helleborine orchids. | The site, which formerly housed football pitches and a tennis court, had been derelict until local residents took it over in 1993, sewing grass seed and planting trees. The area now contains raised-bed gardens, a wild meadow and a small wood – home to a 40 fruit trees amongst the 400 trees now growing there, a colony of bats and rare Dactylorhiza and Epipactis helleborine orchids. |
| Dear Green Place from James Urquhart on Vimeo. | Dear Green Place from James Urquhart on Vimeo. |
| Douglas Peacock, the head of the campaign opposing the development plans, claimed that Glasgow City Council had ignored local opinion in its enthusiasm to sell the land to developers. | Douglas Peacock, the head of the campaign opposing the development plans, claimed that Glasgow City Council had ignored local opinion in its enthusiasm to sell the land to developers. |
| The campaign to save North Kelvin Meadow has reached a critical moment: | The campaign to save North Kelvin Meadow has reached a critical moment: |
| We've done two surveys, and the locals overwhelmingly do not want to see the place sold. | We've done two surveys, and the locals overwhelmingly do not want to see the place sold. |
| This is the last bit of green space in the west end that isn't a formal park or a private garden, so we're hoping the council will change their mind. | This is the last bit of green space in the west end that isn't a formal park or a private garden, so we're hoping the council will change their mind. |
| It doesn't look like they will, though, and if the planning application goes through then the land will be sold. | It doesn't look like they will, though, and if the planning application goes through then the land will be sold. |
| He accused the council of holding a community consultation on the plans at a time calculated to minimise negative responses. The North Kelvin Meadow campaign has reacted by launching a new campaign urging locals to oppose the luxury homes planning application. | He accused the council of holding a community consultation on the plans at a time calculated to minimise negative responses. The North Kelvin Meadow campaign has reacted by launching a new campaign urging locals to oppose the luxury homes planning application. |
| We've been waiting for years for them to put the planning application in, and now they've done it right before Christmas. | We've been waiting for years for them to put the planning application in, and now they've done it right before Christmas. |
| It's a terrible time to do it. The deadline for responses is the start of January, and the council offices won't even be open over Christmas and New Year. It really gives people a very limited window where they can make their voices heard. | It's a terrible time to do it. The deadline for responses is the start of January, and the council offices won't even be open over Christmas and New Year. It really gives people a very limited window where they can make their voices heard. |
Peacock, a banking finance manager, lost a court battle with the council in 2009 and was ordered not to install any more raised beds or bat boxes on the land. He said he had been moved to start the campaign – the first he had ever become involved in - after seeing the effect that the meadow had had on the local community. | Peacock, a banking finance manager, lost a court battle with the council in 2009 and was ordered not to install any more raised beds or bat boxes on the land. He said he had been moved to start the campaign – the first he had ever become involved in - after seeing the effect that the meadow had had on the local community. |
| Nineteen years ago the council took away the goalposts from the football pitches – which is the standard way of selling places off. They leave them to decay, litter and vandalism so that there's not much point holding onto them. | Nineteen years ago the council took away the goalposts from the football pitches – which is the standard way of selling places off. They leave them to decay, litter and vandalism so that there's not much point holding onto them. |
| But today the residents are growing fruit and vegetables in the raised beds, they walk their dogs there and just use it as a place to relax. | But today the residents are growing fruit and vegetables in the raised beds, they walk their dogs there and just use it as a place to relax. |
| We've had children's events which hundreds of people have attended – we've just had a Christmas procession with Santa and his reindeer which drew close to a thousand people. | We've had children's events which hundreds of people have attended – we've just had a Christmas procession with Santa and his reindeer which drew close to a thousand people. |
Children at the event drew pictures of themselves playing in the meadow and adults signed a petition opposing the sell-off which will be delivered to the council's headquarters by Patrick Harvie, co-convenor of the Scottish Green Party, on Friday. Harvie, who represents Glasgow as an MSP, said: | Children at the event drew pictures of themselves playing in the meadow and adults signed a petition opposing the sell-off which will be delivered to the council's headquarters by Patrick Harvie, co-convenor of the Scottish Green Party, on Friday. Harvie, who represents Glasgow as an MSP, said: |
| This is the polar opposite of what the council should be doing with this land. | This is the polar opposite of what the council should be doing with this land. |
| This was a really grotty, derelict site that had been routinely used for fly-tipping – it was vile, like a lot of sites that have been abandoned by local authorities. I would have expected the council to support this kind of project – perhaps not financially, but with advice, resources and maybe a skip to help clear away waste material. | This was a really grotty, derelict site that had been routinely used for fly-tipping – it was vile, like a lot of sites that have been abandoned by local authorities. I would have expected the council to support this kind of project – perhaps not financially, but with advice, resources and maybe a skip to help clear away waste material. |
| Instead they've taken the organisers to court and done everything they can to find someone to sell the land to. | Instead they've taken the organisers to court and done everything they can to find someone to sell the land to. |
| The council's approach also appeared to contradict its own policy on derelict areas, Harvie said. | The council's approach also appeared to contradict its own policy on derelict areas, Harvie said. |
| On paper, the council supports community use of 'stalled spaces'. | On paper, the council supports community use of 'stalled spaces'. |
| They're not doing that in this case, and it's a shame because it's a much-loved local facility. | They're not doing that in this case, and it's a shame because it's a much-loved local facility. |
| A spokesman for Glasgow City Council robustly defended the proposals, saying: | A spokesman for Glasgow City Council robustly defended the proposals, saying: |
| This site is absolutely not a meadow, it's three derelict red blaze football pitches. | This site is absolutely not a meadow, it's three derelict red blaze football pitches. |
| The planning application is for a mix of 90 homes – flats, mews and townhouse properties – with additional space that will have scope for a children's play area. | The planning application is for a mix of 90 homes – flats, mews and townhouse properties – with additional space that will have scope for a children's play area. |
| The developer was selected on the basis of their presenting the best financial offer, and their proposal was the one that had most support from local people attending a community consultation day which the council held in 2008. | The developer was selected on the basis of their presenting the best financial offer, and their proposal was the one that had most support from local people attending a community consultation day which the council held in 2008. |
| He maintained that appropriate steps had been taken to consult the local community. | He maintained that appropriate steps had been taken to consult the local community. |
| The council has a statutory obligation to make planning applications valid once sufficient information has been received. The application was initially received on 8 May but was invalid. Additions were made by the applicant on 28 November, and the council sent notification letters to neighbours on 04 December. | The council has a statutory obligation to make planning applications valid once sufficient information has been received. The application was initially received on 8 May but was invalid. Additions were made by the applicant on 28 November, and the council sent notification letters to neighbours on 04 December. |
| The deadline for comments from neighbouring residents is 5 January 2013. Public holidays are always included in the statutory notification period, and it would be inappropriate to make an exception for this application. | The deadline for comments from neighbouring residents is 5 January 2013. Public holidays are always included in the statutory notification period, and it would be inappropriate to make an exception for this application. |
| We are confident that the notification period will allow interested parties sufficient time to make representations. | We are confident that the notification period will allow interested parties sufficient time to make representations. |
| But those arguments do little to assuage the anger of Douglas Peacock and the meadow's supporters, who are holding daily vigils outside council headquarters. "We'll be here throughout the festive period", he said. "We're not going to go away." | But those arguments do little to assuage the anger of Douglas Peacock and the meadow's supporters, who are holding daily vigils outside council headquarters. "We'll be here throughout the festive period", he said. "We're not going to go away." |
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