For centuries. the green fields and ancient woodland in a corner of North Lanarkshire have attracted people and wildlife; from the monks who grew crops and gave Monklands its name to today’s walkers seeking sanctuary amid nature.

Not far from the M8, a stone’s throw from Airdrie and with a stretch of the Monkland Canal running through, land that once spanned three estates with a Palladian mansion at its heart, has seen industry, coal and iron pits come and go.

These days, the bustle is provided by children following a woodland fairy trail, off-road cyclists, runners, mums with buggies, walkers, and nature photographers.

While deep undercover of the trees and shrubs, alongside the canal, Calder Water and the ponds dotted across the Green Belt land are deer, badgers, otters, bats and frogs.

There are more than 37 species of birds, bluebells turn the woodland floor powder blue in spring, and there are wild strawberries, plums and apples – leftovers from once grand orchards – to nourish innumerable insects, bees and butterflies.

It is, says Diane Davidson, Secretary of Woodhall, Faskine and Palacecraig Conservation Group, a unique place: “There are pear trees that still flower and bear fruit which haven’t yet been identified, they go so far back,” she says.

“You can tick off just about every biodiversity box. You go for a walk one weekend, return the next and it will look completely different.

“I’ve seen people break down in tears because this place means so much to them.”

The stress of a highly charged David versus Goliath battle now spanning six years, may well be taking its toll.

At its heart is Green Belt land between Airdrie and Calderbank, owned by absentee landlords and targeted by developers for 2350 homes, roads, a hotel, school and assorted other facilities.

Branded as EuroPark, the firm behind it, Orchard Brae Limited, includes ex-Rangers and Scotland star Graeme Souness and his son Fraser, who have joined members of the wealthy Gillespie mining and property dynasty to develop land owned by the daughters of late Conservative Home Secretary, Willie Whitelaw.

The Souness link may have inspired one of the latest tweaks to the proposals aimed at appeasing opponents: a community football hub featuring UEFA standard pitches is now included.

Faced with more than 2000 objections to the plans from residents, Orchard Brae say it will be a £364 million investment, creating 789 jobs and another 4290 during the construction phase.

“We are committed to making the extensive greenspace an enhanced, well maintained, safer and more accessible place for the local community to benefit from, celebrating the North Calder River, the Monkland Canal and ancient woodlands as part of the future of the development,” said a spokesperson.

“Our plans have focussed on the green heart of the development from the outset and we have put great emphasis on maintaining the habitat and wildlife at the site whilst carefully considering elements such as archaeology where we have looked to retain anything of historical significance.”

Locals, however, remain unimpressed. Instead, they harbour hopes of seizing the land for the community.

“They make it sound like they are creating a park, but in our view a park doesn’t involve nearly 2500 houses,” says Diane.

“We feel we’re against a big PR campaign. They have renamed this area ‘EuroPark’ but there’s no such place, it doesn’t exist.

“By saying that’s what it’s called, suggests this land is theirs to do what they want with. But it’s green belt land.”

At stake is land that has been ‘green’ since the last Ice Age, and where in the 11th century Faskine became a base for Cistercian monks seeking sanctuary from attacks on Newbattle Abbey near Edinburgh.

“If for no other reason, that area should be conserved because it is the heartland of Monklands,” says Dr Ann Glen, a group member who has researched the area’s history.

Woodhall estate, noted for its trees, was bought in 1711 by wealthy Glasgow merchant Daniel Campbell, who arranged for a grand Palladian mansion to be built. Fields and hedgerows replaced traditional runrigs, and a lily loch and walled garden were built.

The industrial revolution brought mining, James Watt designed the Monkland Canal to carry coal to Glasgow to help power industry, while the early Monkland & Kirkintilloch Railway at Palacecraig took coal to the Forth and Clyde Canal.

By the 1900s, however, the grand mansion had been destroyed by fire and neglect, and subsidence caused by coalmining led to other buildings being demolished.

Left alone, nature thrived. “The area has become effectively a country park with the recovery of wildlife and nature doing its own thing,” adds Dr Glen.

“People have discovered the attractiveness of it.

“This area of North Lanarkshire has some of the worst poor health statistics in Western Europe. Unless people have access to attractive countryside as near as possible to their homes, they will not be encouraged to take exercise.”

While at the heart of the community group’s takeover hope is that land where cows graze can be retained as working farms, helping to maintain biodiversity and sealing the disconnect between farm-grown food and supermarkets. “When you walk along the canal, you can look over countryside and you don’t feel you are in a town,” adds Diane. “But once houses are built, you are looking at the back of people’s houses and it becomes a path along a stagnant water.

“We have deer, badgers, other wildlife. When the bluebells are out, it’s breath-taking.”

While some remains of old farm buildings and leftovers of once grand walled gardens remain, less clear is what may lie under the ground.

Archaeology adviser Dr Murray Cook has told North Lanarkshire Council that while changes to the plan preserves known historic sites, there is still a potential impact on previously unknown remains.

But with demand for housing high, Scotland’s Green Belts are coming under pressure.

Judy Murray recently won her battle for a £40 million sport complex in Dunblane’s Green Belt despite claims it will destroy rolling landscape and native woodland.

Last summer Perth and Kinross Council faced criticism after allowing the owners of Murrayshall Country House Hotel to develop Green Belt land.

While in Carmunnock, the battle for the Green Belt ended at the Court of Session, with campaigners successfully arguing Glasgow City Council had broken its own rules by approving a housing development.

With the public consultation now complete, the ‘battle of EuroPark’ is set to enter a new phase with the proposals expected to go before North Lanarkshire Council within months.

The issue that has united Green, Conservative and Labour MSPs in support for the community.

“This is a theme that is emerging with planning proposals across North Lanarkshire from the Northern Corridor to Ravenscraig,” says Gillian Mackay, Scottish Greens MSP for Central Scotland.

She points out the application is contrary to the adopted North Lanarkshire Local Plan and to the emerging North Lanarkshire Local Development Plan Modified Proposed Plan which both designate it as Green Belt land.

“The area is made up of ancient woodland, it is rich in history, and is loved and cherished by those who reside nearby.

“It offers a space where people enhance physical and mental health through walking, running and cycling, and is equally importantly as home to a wealth of wildlife.”

Conservative MSP Graham Simpson agrees: “If the pandemic has shown us anything it is the value of green space and the outdoors.

“We are lucky to have this land and it should be protected and enhanced as a solely outdoor space.”

And Labour’s Richard Leonard adds: “I believe the answer to this, and other similar attempts by big developers to ride roughshod over residents’ views, is community ownership of the land.

“It’s been done elsewhere and means the land can be used for the good of the community rather than to make money for big business.”

Orchard Brae, meanwhile, points to “extensive engagement with the local community” prior to its recent revised plans.

“In the current plan, the amount of homes and developable area has been considerably reduced, the road access from Calderbank removed, and the greenspace and parkland has increased which takes the space allocated to a recognised country park to 66 per cent of the site.

“We believe by delivering our scheme that we are complementing the long-term investment in the adjacent Maxim and Eurocentral, and encouraging the regeneration of surrounding communities.”

They add: “We will be providing a large number of affordable homes, a new purpose-built primary school facility, a forward-thinking mobility hub, upgraded transport plans and a state-of-the-art community football hub.

“All of these attributes reflect the site’s strong inherent sustainability and it is our intent that it becomes an example of zero net carbon community development for others to follow and something that local communities can truly be proud of.”