Proposed Development Threatens Milngavie's Greenbelt

Milngavie's greenbelt and an area designated as a local nature conservation site and important wildlife corridor is under threat by plans by Stewart Milne to build 120 houses on part of Clober Golf Course. The roughly rectangular subdivision of the golf course marked out by the black box on the map below shows the area for the proposed development sitting within the current greenbelt - shown as a solid green line - and on top of a local nature conservation site and important wildlife corridor, shown by the green diagonal stripes. Endangered and protected species such as hedgehogs and pipistrelle bats as well as many other vital mammals, birds and insects that use this greenbelt land will be adversely affected by this development.

East Dunbartonshire Council has recently approved the inclusion of part of Clober Golf Course in the Proposed Local Development Plan, LDP. The area bordered by Birrell Road and James Watt Roads to the north, North Dumgoyne Avenure to the east and Craigton Road to the south is referred to as 6.3 in the Proposed LDP and is shown in more detail below. The LDP is currently under review by a government reporter, and the results will be announced Summer 2016. If proposal 6.3 is approved by the reporter it is expected that a planning proposal will be submitted by Stewart Milne to build 120 houses on the site shortly thereafter.

This development will set a dangerous precedent on the use of Milngavie's greenbelt land for development. Once the greenbelt has been eroded here, grounds for stopping its continued decline will be weakened and our green spaces - vital for nature and for our own well-being - and the character of Milngavie will be lost forever.

The proposed housing development will also mean that productive farmland will have to be converted into golf course to replace the land lost to housing. Local farmland producing food for the local consumer is at the heart of a sustainable economy and this capacity will be eroded. Part of this farmland is also designated as a local nature conservation site and important wildlife corridor as shown by the green diagonal stripes to the north west of the proposed housing development, and any change such as tree removal and drainage will destroy this habitat.

Two main opportunities remain to help preserve our greenbelt. 1. Objection to a proposal to convert farmland into golf course. Without this, the golf club will not sell part of the course to Stewart Milne. This is likely to come in first. 2. Objection to a proposal to build on the golf course. A further less direct but effective strategy in the long-term is to vote out those councillors who voted to destroy our greenbelt. These names will be made available when minutes beome available in December, so watch this space.