Jackson Carlaw MSP has announced that he will oppose plans for development on Crookfur Park and he has called on SNP-led East Renfrewshire Council to retain the land as greenspace.
In March, it came to light that East Renfrewshire Council had been in discussions to lease the grass pitches to St Cadoc’s YC and ahead of a proposed future planning application from the football club to develop the land into two new artificial football parks and associated infrastructure.
Before the Scottish Parliament entered a six-week period of recess in advance of the Holyrood Election in May when restrictions were placed on sitting MSP’s, Mr Carlaw made the commitment to local residents that he would seek to engage widely with the community on the proposals if re-elected.
In the weeks after his re-election as Eastwood MSP, Mr Carlaw initiated his own public consultation in June with questionnaires sent to 2094 households in the vicinity of Crookfur Park and all residents in the constituency who had an interest in the plans were able to complete the survey online.
The paper surveys generated a significant response rate with 1 in 5 people (20.2 percent) returning the questionnaire and the overwhelming majority of participants stated they are against the development proposals at Crookfur Park with more than 3 in 4 people (77 percent) opposing the plans that have emerged.
The results show that 68 percent of respondents believe a different site should be identified for the football club’s proposals and the Eastwood MSP has said that provision for local sports clubs to ensure appropriate facilities can be made available in the local authority is an issue that should be looked at more widely in the years ahead.
Mr Carlaw has written to the SNP Leader of the local authority, Councillor Tony Buchanan to demand that East Renfrewshire Council rule out development on Crookfur Park.
Jackson Carlaw MSP for Eastwood said:
“Eastwood is home to a range of much-loved local greenspaces and Crookfur Park certainly falls into that category.
“The responses to my public consultation on the matter from people living in close proximity to the greenfield site demonstrate that there is significant opposition to the plans for development and I am clear that Crookfur Park must remain as a valued greenspace for all local people to enjoy.
“The SNP-led council has a track record of putting our much-treasured local greenspaces at risk and it was only through robust campaigning from local people and East Renfrewshire Conservatives that Broomburn Park, Shawwood Park and Huntly Park were saved from development.
“I am calling on the Leader of East Renfrewshire Council to remove any possibility that Crookfur Park could be lost to development and to commit his Administration to retaining the land as a local greenfield site.
“This particular proposal and representations I have also received from others in relation to local sporting facilities suggests that there does need to be a more wide-ranging discussion in East Renfrewshire on ensuring appropriate infrastructure is available for local sporting clubs but without alienating communities by possibly removing valued greenspaces such as Crookfur Park.”
Notes:
Survey results attached.
Letters to Council Leader, Councillor Tony Buchanan and Director of Environment, Andrew Cahill attached.
