ONE OF the country's foremost conservation charities has made a last ditch appeal to stop a housing project ruining a children's wood in Glasgow which it says has helped Scots get a greater understanding of nature.
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds Scotland has said areas like the threatened North Kelvin Meadow, which is said to be the last wild space in the west end of Glasgow, have a crucial role in getting people to understand the importance of conservation and should be preserved.
RSPB Scotland made its views known as a public hearing into the long-running controversy concluded, with Government officials visiting the contested site.
The hearing will have a crucial role in determining the fate of the project with New City Vision, the developers behind the proposal for 90 houses on the site and Glasgow City Council among those who have made their cases during the hearing at the Maryhill Burgh Hall.
It was set up after Scottish Government decided to call in the planning application and an official reporter will in due course present his findings to ministers.
The campaign to save the wood and meadow is supported by a host of well-known names including comedian Frankie Boyle and Gruffalo author Julia Donaldson.
RSPB Scotland has said the children's wood had brought benefits to children in some of Scotland's most deprived schools.
Dr Katherine Jones, RSPB Scotland's public affairs manager told the reporter that it was "an unusual case" for the charity, which normally reserves its attention for significant threats to nationally or internationally important conservation interest.
But the group had seen at first hand, throu gh three years working in the area how important the site was "as a place of inspiration".
"This site may not have eagles and adders, natterjacks or nightjars, curlews or corncrakes: but it has worms and robins and beetles and sparrows, and.. it is where people living in city flats can get out and get close to nature," she said.
"We need more places in our cities where people can get close to nature not fewer."
Regular events organised by the community in the Children’s Wood are designed to connect children to nature, raise aspirations and bring people together.
"RSPB Scotland is representing in this case, not only because we are involved with delivering activities around the Meadow and Wood, but because it is one of the rare occasions that a planning decision affecting some urban greenspace is challenged by a community and these arguments for keeping nature accessible to people in the city are being heard.
"We consider access to semi natural greenspace extremely important for the wellbeing of children, and adults, and that a disconnection to nature is a real threat to the future of conservation.
"RSPB Scotland may be more usually associated with the conservation of rare and wonderful species in wild and remote places, but it is only by helping people connect with the nature that is close to where they live that we will encourage people to value nature in the wider countryside.
"If we don't have places local to us to experience nature; to get stuck in, get muddy, get involved and to see that first snowdrop of spring, then we are the poorer for it. And our planet will be the poorer for it if our children and grandchildren do not have an experience of nature to give them a fascination for wildlife and to teach them to love and care for our planet in the future."
Although developers New City Vision could still take their case to the civil courts if ministers decide in favour of the Children's Wood campaigners, the hearing brings the curtain down on around 15 years of opposition to the scheme.
Deciding to call in the application, the Government’s report stated that “given the loss of valued open space and possible conflict with policy, as well as the council’s financial interest in the proposal it is considered that, on balance, it raise issues of national significance as to merit further scrutiny and determination by Scottish Ministers rather than by Glasgow City Council”.
Recently three Government appointed reporters investigated and recommended that the city council delete the housing proposals for the land in the upcoming blueprint for development in the city.
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