Greenbelt Demo at Council Meeting

On Thursday 26th at 5.30pm a group of 54 concerned residents staged a demonstration outside the Council Headquarters at the Marina.

This was aimed to get Councillors' support for protection of the Campsie Greenbelt and removal of Redmoss Farm from the planning officials' designated 'preferred site' status. The demonstration extended up to the start of the Council Meeting, after which local residents and Community Council members attended the meeting.

The main concern was agenda Item 12, which was to get approval of the Development & Regeneration Department’s massive report on the housing proposals in the MRI.

Before the meeting Councillor Duncan Cumming and Councillor David Ritchie courteously discussed outside with the group. Other Councillors avoided the front entrance and entered by the back door.

At the meeting, on behalf of Milton of Campsie, Councillor Ritchie sought the removal of Redmoss from 'preferred site' status. The SNP put an amendment to take this area and two other greenfield sites out of the 'preferred' status. The debate lasted 1 hr and 25 minutes. At the end it was made a party issue, with the Labour/LibDem/Con members all voting against the demonstrators' wishes.

Independent Councillor Cumming voted with the SNP councillors in supporting the amendment. The local Campsie Councillors, Dempsey and Welsh voted on party lines with their Labour colleagues. The Administration won the vote to accept the official's report without the amendments:14 against 10.

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