The fantastic news arrived in an email from Bill Fraser which I will reproduce below.
GO APE CANCELS POLLOK PARK PLANS
In a press statement today, Jerome Mayhew of Go Ape said:
“Having taken into account National Trust
for Scotland’s request that we try to avoid constructing
additional buildings in the park, we have carefully
explored the possibility of using a part of the existing Knowehead Lodge as
our customer reception and equipment store. However, we have concluded that
the amount of work required to adapt the building to incorporate our reception
area would be too extensive
and impractical. We have therefore decided, after much thought, not
to go ahead with building
a course in Pollok Park.
“We are obviously disappointed that this
will prevent us from providing a healthy and exciting new
recreational activity for Pollok Park and for Glasgow and would like to take
this opportunity to thank
Glasgow City Council and the many people in the local area who have openly
supported us.”
Robert Booth added:
“Obviously we regret Go Ape’s decision
not to proceed with their facility at Pollok Park. Our main
objective was to secure an additional attraction for park users at no cost
or financial risk to the Council.
The loss of such an exciting venue for health and recreational activity within
the park and of course
the 2000 annual free places which would have been available to Glasgow groups
young and old is
therefore a major disappointment.
“Notwithstanding this we are delighted
that the Company’s future plans continue to include Scotland
with their 2nd site scheduled to open early next year and wish them well with
their ongoing discussions
with the National Trust for Scotland on the potential opening of their 3rd
site in one of the
Trust’s own locations.
“The public can be assured that the Council
will continue with its commitment to improve its parks
and open spaces by providing quality facilities everyone can enjoy and make
use of. “
Save Pollok Park tonight issued the following statement:
“We’re delighted with this outcome
and we want to thank all our supporters for sticking with us over
the last eighteen months. Our campaign was backed by thousands of Glasgow
residents who wanted
to keep Pollok Park’s North Wood as the haven of peace the Maxwell family
envisaged when they
gifted it to the citizens of Glasgow. It’s just a pity it’s taken
so long to reach the obvious conclusion.”
“Throughout this saga the Council failed
to consult its taxpayers properly or listen to protests.
They did not address the legal and operational issues which we believe made
the proposal a
non-starter anyway. A great deal of public money and time has been wasted
in futile posturing.”
“Go Ape was never part of a health agenda
as the Council claimed but simply a crass attempt to cash
in on a dear green place. The council has now lost two major park schemes
to popular protest
and they need to rethink the commercialisation of such open spaces or risk
further defeats.”
“In March 2008 we characterised the council’s
handling of the planning application as
‘slapdash and incompetent’ as they failed to consider key evidence
on a number of planning issues.
For instance they did not consult NTS which has the lead conservation role.
“
“In the last 12 months we have pointed
out to council officers many other problems with the plan
including the fact that this is Common Good land and cannot be leased without
Court consent;
precedent showed this approval was unlikely. The Chief Executive’s department
failed to respond and
we now call upon the appropriate council committee to investigate these failings
which have cost
the taxpayer and Go Ape dear.”
“We are also critical of the NTS. As
conservator of the Park they failed in their duty to oppose
the scheme vigorously when legal opinion obtained by Save Pollok Park clearly
showed they
had an obligation to do so. Had they made their position clear from the start
the scheme
would have been dead in the water.”