7.43 In the south-west of the City, the Stirling Maxwell Forest Park provides the context for local communities to enhance their quality of life and create a new environmental and cultural legacy for future generations. The Forest Park will create a network of 41 woodland areas, open spaces, country parks and nature reserves linked by 28 km of paths and cycle routes. When complete, the Forest Park will be an important local recreational resource and will help conserve, restore and promote the area’s cultural heritage, landscape and historic buildings. Completion of the Forest Park will also result in the reclamation of almost 30ha of derelict or vacant land.

7.44 There are comparable historically significant landscapes and land of wildlife/biodiversity value that sit adjacent to areas of vacant and derelict land in the north and east of the City. An opportunity may exist for a project similar to the Stirling Maxwell Forest Park to be developed in north and east Glasgow to reflect and enhance the historic significance and landscape and wildlife value of this area. As with the Stirling Maxwell Forest Park, community involvement in the evolution of detailed proposals will be essential.

The City Council will complete the Stirling Maxwell Forest Park and assess the feasibility of establishing a similar initiative in north and east Glasgow.

7.45 The countryside around the edge of Glasgow provides the setting for many of its communities. Equally, the river valleys that penetrate the City’s urban fabric represent an important wildlife, landscape and recreational resource. For a number of years, the Council, in partnership with adjacent authorities and Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH), has been involved in management projects aimed at improving the stewardship of these resources. The Kelvin Valley Countryside Project, the Carts Project and the Kilpatricks Project cover much of the City’s Greenbelt and river valleys, promoting measures such as tree planting and habitat creation to improve the landscape, protect and enhance biodiversity and reclaim derelict land. The Projects are also involved in promoting social inclusion through the creation of footpaths and the implementation of environmental education programmes.

7.46 Countryside In and Around Town (CAT) Projects are funded by the Council, SNH, and adjoining local authorities. SNH is reviewing the concept of CAT and is proposing to replace it with a Greenspace for Communities (GfC) initiative aimed at enhancing access to greenspace for all communities in Glasgow and the Clyde Valley. This Initiative provides the opportunity to extend the operation of the existing Projects to cover the whole City and to deliver a more consistent and better co-ordinated service.

The City Council will continue to work with Scottish Natural Heritage and relevant adjoining local authorities, in two new partnerships, covering the whole City, aimed at replacing CAT, with Greenspace for Communities.

7.47 The Plan aims to ensure that people can access greenspaces to meet their physical, social and psychological needs, by protecting, enhancing and creating important landscape and/or wildlife features. As the development process inserts new housing into the existing urban fabric, the demand for greenspaces changes. The existing extent, location and quality of greenspaces often reflects historic land uses. Many areas, now being developed for housing, were previously used for industry and may not contain formal greenspaces. Equally, as land-uses change, existing parks and open space may become less well located in terms of emerging community needs.

7.48 The Plan’s Development Policies and Environmental Policy Designations recognise the Greenspace Network and ensure that the most important areas/sites, in terms of biodiversity and landscape, are protected. While inappropriate development of those elements of the Network that carry environmental designations will be resisted, there may be circumstances when parts of the Network could be developed, provided a compensatory area of greenspace is created of equal size, quality and accessibility. There may be circumstances, therefore, where, with suitable treatment, derelict and vacant sites can make a contribution towards meeting the prescribed greenspace standards. Targets for the provision of recreational greenspace are set out in Part 2 policy RES 3: Residential Greenspace Standards.

The City Council will support innovative approaches to improving the extent, distribution and quality of greenspaces in the City within the context of the Development Policies set out in Part 2 of the Plan.

7.49 Government guidance makes it clear that local plans should make appropriate provision for Local Nature Reserves (LNRs). LNRs are areas of high natural interest, such as SSSIs or SINCs, which are not just protected but managed and improved, with the conservation of nature as a priority concern. They can fulfil formal education and research roles and/or provide opportunities for informal enjoyment of nature by the public. The approved Wildlife and Nature Conservation Policy stresses that the Council will have regard to wildlife in managing its own landholdings and declare LNRs as appropriate. There are two LNRs in the City, at Bishop Loch and Hogganfield Park (Figure 7.3). A further six areas are considered to merit LNR status (Figure 7.5). These will be pursued with the support of land owners and in partnership/consultation with other local authorities where there is scope for the LNR to traverse council boundaries, for example at Darnley Mill and Frankfield Loch.

Figure 7.5: Proposed Local Nature Reserves

The City Council will use the powers contained in Section 21 of the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949, to declare Local Nature Reserves (LNRs) and, in particular, will seek to achieve LNR status for the following sites: