Green councillors in Glasgow have been accused of "political cowardice" after they were absent from discussions for the future of a city green space. 

During a heated meeting at Glasgow City Council's planning committee yesterday, SNP councillor Phil Greene hit out at committee members Martin Bartos and Nina Baker, suggesting they should no longer be on the board. 

The two Green councillors had previously suggested to the council's Executive Committee that the North Kelvin Meadow space should be re-zoned as green space to protect it from future development.

This suggestion ruled them out of any involvement with the planning decision for the site as they had already declared their views on what should happen.

During the meeting, Councillor Greene said: "I shouldn't make this comment but I will because I'm very angry.

"There are two members of the the committee who are not here who should be.

"It is an act of political cowardice and they should not be on the planning committee."

Both councillors said they had no choice but to abstain from the committee, as their involvement would not be impartial.

Councillor Baker said: "This has been, in my view, the correct action, both ethically and indeed legally as any participation by myself or Councillor Bartos could otherwise have been liable to reporting to the Standards Commission as inappropriate.

"It is of course, nevertheless, always frustrating when our desire to see our views prevail, that the proper thing is that we have to be absent entirely as the rules also prohibit us from even being in the room during the meeting."

Councillor Bartos said: "We had previously taken a position that the land should be re-zoned for green space.

"SNP and Labour both voted against our position when we put it forward last year.

"The developers would have been able to appeal the decision on the basis we were prejudiced...It could have been in breach of the councillors code.

"To do anything otherwise would have opened us up to criticism."