AN inner city woodland at the centre of a long-running battle between residents and Scotland's largest council cannot be designated for housing, ministers have said.

In a major victory for the campaign to preserve the space in Glasgow's west end, the Scottish Government has ruled against the city council's plans to have the land set aside for housing.

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The move comes around a month before an expected public inquiry into whether the council can proceed with its attempts to sell the North Kelvin Meadow to developers for a controversial housing plan.

The Scottish Government's Reporter said the land at Clouston Street was "a highly valued open space which is well used and maintained by the local community, and which should continue to be safeguarded for that purpose". The Reporter added that its development for housing would be "in conflict with planning policies which seek to protect such areas".

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Glasgow City Council has described the decision as "disappointing and surprising" but added that it would have no bearing on the forthcoming assessment of the sale of the plot for 90 properties.

But campaigners, who have been backed by high-profile figures including Frankie Boyle, leading children’s author Julia Donaldson and Children’s Commissioner for Scotland Tam Baillie, said they believed that given the move to move against the wood being designated a housing zone the Reporter looking at the specific application for the site was likely to come to the same conclusion.

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On its social media site, the Children's Wood campaign described the move as "significant news and brilliant".

It added: "We've waited a very long time for this and it’s a great result. Well done all that have been campaigning and helping the land over the years.

"In short, you'd expect both reporters to come to the same conclusion, as they both will be looking at the same facts. We and others will be making as strong a case as ever at the forthcoming hearing."

The Government Reporter had been responding to objections to the council's third instalment of its City Plan, essentially its blueprint for development over the next few years.

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The land had been zoned for housing about a decade ago, in the first version of the City Plan, but later altered. The council had wanted it reverted back to land designated for development.

In summing up, the Reporter said: "Even in wet weather, when I conducted my site inspection, people were walking dogs and families were using the play space.

"The site is clearly an area that is valued and looked after by the local community. The majority of representations and a petition seek to retain the site as open greenspace for the community.

"I recognise that the development of this site for housing would make a contribution towards meeting the shortfall in the provision of land for new housing in the city.

"However, the land at Clouston Street is a highly valued open space which is well used and maintained by the local community, and which should continue to be safeguarded for that purpose. Its development for housing would be in conflict with planning policies which seek to protect such areas."

Cllr George Redmond, the political head for jobs, business and investment at the authority, said: “We appreciate the scrutiny the Reporters have given to key matters.

"However, the assessment of the Clouston Street site is disappointing and surprising, particularly in the broader context of the Reporters’ call for more housing in Glasgow and the potential for development to deliver further investment in community facilities in this neighbourhood.

"Despite this, we welcome the Reporter’s recognition that the Plan Examination is an independent process that should not have a bearing on the processing of the application currently under review at Clouston Street.”