18/4/2008Campaigners want council U-turn on park scheme after nightspot axed
OPPONENTS of the Go Ape adventure course in Glasgow's Pollok Park today called for a U-turn on the project after a £7million nightclub planned for the Botanic Gardens was scrapped.
Campaigners are furious the city council rejected the hugely unpopular project for the Botanic Gardens, while giving the equally unpopular Go Ape plan the go-ahead last month.
And they called for council leader Steven Purcell to publicly come out against Go Ape, just as he has done over clubs tycoon Stefan King's bid for a venue in the Botanics.
They say the similarities between the Botanics nightclub plan and Go Ape's Pollok Park venture, and the huge level of opposition to both, mean they should both be rejected.
Danny Alderslow, Green councillor for Southside Central, said: "They are so alike. I will be looking for Steven Purcell to do likewise with Pollok Park. He can say he listened to the people about the Botanics. We want him to listen to the people on Pollok Park."
The Evening Times yesterday told how the proposal by Mr King's G1 group to transform a disused part of the Botanics into an underground nightclub, bar and restaurant was being vetoed.
Bill Fraser, of campaign group Save Pollok Park, said:"The people of the South Side might feel slighted if they don't get the same political support that people in the West End have got.
"The strength of feeling in the South Side is as strong as it is in the West End.
"There are three things we have in common with the Botanics plan. That project was abandoned due to huge local opposition, a lack of consultation and a poor value lease, some of the reasons we oppose Go Ape.
"The Botanics was abandoned due to 'people power', and with nearly 5000 signatures on our petition and doubts over the 'sloppy' handling of the planning application, we deserve the same support from our elected representatives."
But deputy planning convener Jonathan Findlay hit back, saying there was no comparison between the two developments.
And he defended giving Go Ape the go-ahead on the grounds it fitted the city;s health agenda by encouraging more people to get fit, especially teenagers.
Councillor Findlay said: "There are fundamental differences between leasing part of a public park to Go Ape for a scheme which can be taken down without any impact on the park, and building a nightclub, which is a permanent structure.
"The Botanics plan was dead before it reached the planning stage, but if it had reached that stage, there would have been no comparison to Go Ape.
"You cannot compare a nightclub with an adventure park. They are very different things."
He said a lot of planning committee members, including himself, thought a facility like Go Ape would be a fantastic thing for Pollok Park and the city, and in planning terms there was nothing to prevent the committee allowing it to go ahead.
He added: "It also ties in with the council's health agenda because we want to encourage more young people to become active.
"There is a perception there is not a lot in parks for the older teenage group and that is the group which will be very attracted to a facility like Go Ape which you can enjoy for the price of a football match."
Save Pollok Park hopes the Scottish Government will overturn the Go Ape plan in the light of the Botanics decision.
A spokesman for Go Ape said: "We are acutely sensitive to the concerns of some individuals and we will continue to actively listen and to see where we can accommodate particular concerns."
Campaigners are furious the city council rejected the hugely unpopular project for the Botanic Gardens, while giving the equally unpopular Go Ape plan the go-ahead last month.
And they called for council leader Steven Purcell to publicly come out against Go Ape, just as he has done over clubs tycoon Stefan King's bid for a venue in the Botanics.
They say the similarities between the Botanics nightclub plan and Go Ape's Pollok Park venture, and the huge level of opposition to both, mean they should both be rejected.
Danny Alderslow, Green councillor for Southside Central, said: "They are so alike. I will be looking for Steven Purcell to do likewise with Pollok Park. He can say he listened to the people about the Botanics. We want him to listen to the people on Pollok Park."
The Evening Times yesterday told how the proposal by Mr King's G1 group to transform a disused part of the Botanics into an underground nightclub, bar and restaurant was being vetoed.
Bill Fraser, of campaign group Save Pollok Park, said:"The people of the South Side might feel slighted if they don't get the same political support that people in the West End have got.
"The strength of feeling in the South Side is as strong as it is in the West End.
"There are three things we have in common with the Botanics plan. That project was abandoned due to huge local opposition, a lack of consultation and a poor value lease, some of the reasons we oppose Go Ape.
"The Botanics was abandoned due to 'people power', and with nearly 5000 signatures on our petition and doubts over the 'sloppy' handling of the planning application, we deserve the same support from our elected representatives."
But deputy planning convener Jonathan Findlay hit back, saying there was no comparison between the two developments.
And he defended giving Go Ape the go-ahead on the grounds it fitted the city;s health agenda by encouraging more people to get fit, especially teenagers.
Councillor Findlay said: "There are fundamental differences between leasing part of a public park to Go Ape for a scheme which can be taken down without any impact on the park, and building a nightclub, which is a permanent structure.
"The Botanics plan was dead before it reached the planning stage, but if it had reached that stage, there would have been no comparison to Go Ape.
"You cannot compare a nightclub with an adventure park. They are very different things."
He said a lot of planning committee members, including himself, thought a facility like Go Ape would be a fantastic thing for Pollok Park and the city, and in planning terms there was nothing to prevent the committee allowing it to go ahead.
He added: "It also ties in with the council's health agenda because we want to encourage more young people to become active.
"There is a perception there is not a lot in parks for the older teenage group and that is the group which will be very attracted to a facility like Go Ape which you can enjoy for the price of a football match."
Save Pollok Park hopes the Scottish Government will overturn the Go Ape plan in the light of the Botanics decision.
A spokesman for Go Ape said: "We are acutely sensitive to the concerns of some individuals and we will continue to actively listen and to see where we can accommodate particular concerns."