Battle for the future of Clouston Street

The West End’s green fingered fraternity are embroiled in a war of words with Councillor Jim McKechnie over the site of the old blase football pitches on Clouston Street.
North Kelvin Meadow Campaign (NKMC) have created community gardens and social space on the land which is ear-marked for development.
Douglas Peacock, the Chair of NKMC said: ‘Two years ago Councillor McKechnie claimed the land was already sold and there was no point in us using the space.
‘But that was incorrect and our gardening project has brought the space to life and is a community asset.
‘Councillor McKechnie is adamant the sale goes through and he has not been supportive of our moves to bring the community together.
‘The delays in the developers’ action may be a result of the recession and the banks hostility to lending.
‘When that changes, there is a danger that all our good work could be put to waste. But we’re determined to not let that happen.
‘The Meadow is like a green-gym, where -people can grow veg, meet one another and keep fit at the same time.’
The proposed developers, New City Vision (NCV), have signed the missives for the land and were expected to have started work on their 115 residential flats development in January.
Harry O’Donnell, Director of New City Vision, in January told LOCAL NEWS GLASGOW: ‘We’re nearly at the stage of testing the land with trial pots and bore holes.
‘We are doing everything possible to work in a spirit of co-operation with the gardeners.’

However, there has been no sign of NCV at the site.   Director Harry O’Donnell spoke to Douglas Peacock early in the year and advised him that they could keep growing for another season as they would not be boring any holes or doing any work on the site until well after summer ’10.
Councillor Jim McKechnie wants the sale to go ahead as he has been promised £1.1m of the proceeds of the sale to go to the redevelopment of the football pitches at the corner of Maryhill Road and Queen Margaret Drive.
He said: ‘The gardeners appeared on the scene some 18 months after the decision to go ahead with the sale of the land was agreed.
‘The so-called Meadow campaigners are very much Johnny-come-lately.’
‘The legal transfer of the land has taken a lot of time, that is just due to the the administration of the sale.’
‘The council have legalised the operation of the gardeners by inviting them to sign a licensing agreement which will allow them to stay on the land until the end of November when NCV will definitely need on.
‘At the moment NCV are proceeding with their planning application which involved a period of community consultation prior to approval.’
However, the gardeners will carry-on and are encouraging parents and children to attend their Sunday events and help with painting, litter-clearing, signage making and meeting their neighbours.
Badminton, treasure hunts and other games will be on offer for kids (and parents!) who get bored with the gardening.
The gardeners claim that local people are reclaiming the site and tell of people playing cricket and generally enjoying the green space.