How to Donate

Our bank account details are as follows: BARCLAYS BANK Sort Code: 20-33-70 Account Number: 40328553 Account Name: MOC GREENBELT You can pay directly into our bank account through Internet (Online) Banking; Telephone Banking; or in person at any UK Bank. You can go into any branch of your own bank and use your debit card or cash to make a payment to our bank account from your account; or you can go into any branch of Barclays (even if you don’t bank with them, there is one at 21 Cowgate, Kirkintilloch, open 9.30am to 4.30pm Monday to Friday). If you make a donation by either of these methods and you are not on our email list please email me to advise and I will acknowledge. In addition you can make a donation by putting cash in an envelope and putting the envelope through my door at 2 Elizabeth Ave (corner of Laburnum and Elizabeth). Please seal the envelope and put your name on the outside or on a note inside and add your email address if you are not on our email list. All envelopes received this way will be opened in the presence of a third party. All donations will be acknowledged by email. If you make a donation by any of the above methods and do not receive an acknowledgement within 48 hours please email me or our Chair, Dr Morag Campbell on morag162@gmail.com. The bank account and all receipts and payments will be audited by a qualified accountant and the audit will be published on our website http://mocvillage.wix.com/greenbelt.

August 2015 Newsletter

Dear Friend of the Greenbelt, I want to try to summarise what’s been happening over the summer months since the end of the consultation period for the Local Development Plan 3 (LDP3) on 27 May 2015. During this period we have added about 30 names to this list, so if some of what you find below is not news to you, just skim through it, the best or rather worst bits are at the end; but for those who are new to the list, there might be some surprises. On 12 June 2015 I issued a Press Statement because the Council refused to confirm the number of objections they had received to house building on Redmoss Farm. At the same time the timetable and the Press Statement were published on our website and the story was picked up by the Kirkintilloch Herald: http://www.kirkintilloch-herald.co.uk/news/local-headlines/campaigners-call-for-answers-from-council-1-3805120 On 19 June 2015, Stuart McDonald MP, Cllr David Ritchie and I, accompanied by a local expert in the field of urban geography and land use conflict, met Thomas Glen, East Dunbartonshire Council (EDC), Director of Planning & Regeneration and Heather Holland, Land Planning Manager to discuss the impact of so called emerging evidence from the new Housing Need and Demand Assessment (HNDA2) on LDP3. Previous estimates indicated a need for 834 affordable houses in East Dunbartonshire. However, as a result of a change in methodology, the new statistics show an affordable housing need of 619 for East Dunbartonshire. The number of affordable house completions (282), plus those in the established housing land supply (406) provides 688 affordable houses. If one adds in the number of new affordable houses in the Proposed LDP3 (342) the outcome is a surplus of 411 affordable housing in the District. I think it would be fair to say that the outcome of this meeting was not very satisfactory from our point of view. Mr Glen was adamant that the LDP as currently proposed represents “the settled view of the Council”; Redmoss Farm could not be removed without “significantly compromising the Council’s position and the timing of the Plan”; and he was dismissive of the findings of the previous Reporter who rejected development on Redmoss in the current local plan, claiming that circumstances had changed. Needless to say we strongly refuted all these assertions. Furthermore, it was clear from Mr Glen’s comments that he takes notice of the media, thus indicating the success of the publicity campaign to date. In addition he conceded that the number of objections would be known prior to the Report to Council and would be made available by mid August (we’re still waiting, so I’ll be pursuing this with the Information Commissioner). On 21 June 2015 we completed a flora survey of Redmoss Farm by a Member of the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management representing the Strathkelvin Group of the Scottish Wildlife Trust. The critical point here is that the designation of the northern part of Redmoss Grasslands as a preferred development site in the proposed LDP3 is based on the finding in the Council’s report that there is a significant difference in ecological value between the southern and northern parts of Redmoss Grasslands. Specifically that the southern area has more potential value as a wild flower meadow based on its classification as ‘unimproved neutral grassland’. This is not supported by the new evidence from the SWT Report. This distinction between the northern and southern parts of the site was predicated on the classification of the northern site as ‘semi-improved grassland’ on the basis of it having been shallow plowed at some point in the past, while the southern site was classified as ‘unimproved grassland’ with potentially greater ecological value. However, the SWT report also identifies the northern area of Redmoss as an ‘unimproved grassland’ environment that is remarkable in local context with value as a habitat for native plant species including several types of orchid. Therefore this new evidence directly contradicts the Council's external "expert" report. EDC have confirmed that our Survey will be included in the analysis of the Redmoss site that is presented to the “working party” and that it will be submitted in its entirety to the Directorate for Planning and Environmental Appeals (DPEA) in due course. However it was clear that a comprehensive habitat survey must consider both flora and fauna and indeed the SWT Survey identified the ecological value of the northern site and noted the need for a specific fauna survey. In the event it proved very difficult to find a firm who would commit to carrying out a fauna survey on our behalf at this time of year but I was able to agree a further extension with the Council for a report on bat roost potential and protected species on the site, which I received just after 7.00pm tonight. All I can tell you at this stage is that the document runs to some 40 pages (which would suggest that it is somewhat more comprehensive than the Council’s external expert 14 page document) but we will review it over the weekend and submit it on Monday. A fortnight ago tonight we launched an Appeal to raise the £810 (including VAT) needed to pay for this survey. The Appeal has been very successful and so far close to 40% of those on this list has contributed and at the same time the number of names on the list has been increased by 10% to reach 178 at this time. However, your Committee has decided not to release the final total raised until next week in order to give more people an opportunity to make a donation. A number of volunteers have been delivering leaflets throughout the estate and this aspect has had a particular impact in the streets west of Juniper Drive (Peezer’s Hill), Limetree Ave/Cherry Place and Munro Drive/Viewfield Ave/Glazert Place where an additional 220 houses are now proposed by Bellway. Tomorrow morning we will be leafleting in the area of Cannerton Park and Blair Drive where we hope to be equally successful. At the same time we have identified a need for a Traffic Impact Assessment (TIA). We have been advised that that Redmoss Road does not conform or comply with the current requirements of the Governments Roads Design Criteria for an estate of this size and we intend to instruct a TIA in order to establish the correct current classification Redmoss Road and the application of density of residential development which could be applied to that road under the current guidelines for design. We anticipate that the cost of this Assessment will be at least the same as the ecological survey if not more and we will keep the Appeal open for this purpose and other planned activities to protect the greenbelt. If you have not already contributed to our fighting fund please consider doing so now. Details of how you can donate are attached to this email. Last Monday there was a truly shocking development when Bellway’s PUBLIC RELATIONS PROPOSAL for Redmoss Farm was leaked to me. Bellway have engaged a firm of Public Relations Consultants to develop a communications strategy with their partners (who appear to include EDC) in a bid to combat what they deem as “local opposition to building in this location. The communications strategy is designed to engage with the local community and deliver a positive inclusive approach, prior to approaching the Council with a formal planning application.” However, it is clear from the document that even while the Council are collating responses prior to the draft LDP going before the full Council in November or December and submission to the Scottish Government by the end of the year; Bellway have already decided to submit a Proposal Application Notice (PAN) in December 2015, followed by a detailed planning application in the spring of 2016. One piece of good news here is that our group has been specifically identified in the document as key stakeholders which clearly demonstrates the impact we have already had on their thinking. Bellway have arranged a meeting next Friday 28th August 2015 at the Council's Offices at Southbank Marina. They have invited our MP, the wrong MSP and local Councillors (one wrong here as well), along with representatives from the Council’s Housing Policy Team, Planning Department and their preferred Housing Association Partner to participate in the meeting. Needless to say they didn’t invite us. I immediately emailed Bellway’s Land Manager about a number of revelations from this document, as follows: I note that you have identified the householders in Marley Way as key stakeholders; which, contrary to the Council's statements, suggests that you have already decided that Marley Way will be the access point for the proposed development. In the light of our conversation on 19 May 2015, it is particularly troubling to find that whilst you regard it as important the Council is made aware in advance of all planned site activities you do not intend to notify identified streets/organisations who need to be alerted of work happening on site until after work has taken place. Furthermore, I am concerned to note that you do not intend issuing a press release announcing that a planning application has been lodged until the day the application is submitted to the Council. You probably won’t be surprised to learn that he hasn’t replied. I have also emailed the Chief Executive of EDC tonight expressing our serious concerns about the meeting and concluding “Whilst the Council have proposed in LDP3 that 80 “affordable” houses be located on the northern section of the Redmoss Farm site, the Council’s Housing and Planning Department Officials should be neutral in relation to the Planning Applications foreshadowed in Bellway’s Strategy Document and certainly should not be involved in assisting Bellway to develop a strategy to overcome “local opposition to building in this location” at the same time as collating the public representations for presentation to Council. Neither should the Council’s offices, which are paid for by tax payers who are overwhelmingly opposed to the development, be used to house a meeting for that purpose.” The full text of the email is attached. I had hoped to get this Newsletter out a bit earlier tonight (but it takes me along time to type 1,800+ words!) because I also wanted to say that our Chairperson, Dr Morag Cambell and I will be at the Cross tomorrow, Saturday 22nd between about 11.00am and 1.00pm when we will do our best to answer any questions and we will be glad to accept any donations. If you have any questions and can’t manage along or read this too late, feel free to email and I will reply as soon as possible. Lastly, if anyone reading this works in public relations or a related field e.g. journalism, marketing or event management and feels able to devote some time to assist us in combating Bellway’s strategy, please contact me; we need your help. Alan S Harris Alan S Harris Secretary MOC GREENBELT PRESERVATION http://mocvillage.wix.com/greenbelt

FIGHTING FUND APPEAL

On 7 August 2015 we launched an Appeal to raise the £810 (including VAT) needed to pay for a Fauna (bat and other protected species) Survey of Redmoss Farm. The Appeal has been very successful but we have also identified a need for a Traffic Impact Assessment in order to establish the correct current classification Redmoss Road and the application of density of residential development which could be applied to that road under the current guidelines for design. We anticipate that the cost of this Assessment will be at least the same as the ecological survey if not more and we will keep the Appeal open for this purpose and other planned activities to protect the greenbelt.