Cambuslang Community Council is supporting local residents who are fighting to prevent their local amenity greenspace, known locally as Douglas Park, being sold by South Lanarkshire Council to developers. The site on the corner of Stewarton Drive and Douglas Drive has been a local park for over a hundred years and, until recently, had an ornamental rose garden and commanded a fine view over Glasgow – as the photo (from the Edward Boyle Collection) shows. Douglas Park is still used extensively by dog walkers and by local children as a play area. However, local residents recently discovered that South Lanarkshire Council had, without consultation, transferred the site to its ‘Corporate Land Bank’ and subsequently put the site up for sale – this despite the land having been gifted to the Council for use as an ornamental garden. The local residents from Stewarton Drive and neighbouring streets have set up an action group and are seeking to stop the sale.
Cambuslang Community Council strongly supports the local residents and has written to South Lanarkshire Council with a letter of objection. Given that there has been no consultation with local residents or the Community Council, CCC has also formally requested participation in the decision-making process on the future status and use of Douglas Park and for the sale to be suspended. Jack Taylor, Chair of Cambuslang Community Council said: “We are very concerned at the proposed sale of Douglas Park. While we understand the huge financial pressures that South Lanarkshire Council are under, we think it wrong arbitrarily to sell off a piece of greenspace that has been used as a small park for over a hundred years and is valued by local residents. We are particularly disappointed at the lack of consultation on this issue either with the local residents or with Cambuslang Community Council. We urge South Lanarkshire Council to stop the sale, review this issue and meet with the residents.”