Save Edinburgh’s green spaces! – Steve Cardownie

The temptation to allow house building on Edinburgh’s parks and other green spaces should be resisted, says Steve Cardownie.

Cllr Neil Gardiner is committed to preserving green spaces

It was heartening to hear that SNP councillor and planning convener Neil Gardiner has stated his resolve to support the protection of green spaces and parks where unwarranted housing developments should be resisted in favour of brownfield sites being developed instead.

The council is between a rock and a hard place when it comes to the provision of affordable housing, with thousands of homes needing to be built but with only so much land that is ripe for development.

It is understandable, then, that eyes may fall on some of the many parks and green spaces that are dotted throughout the city. Understandable, but misguided.

It is fine if land can be identified as unusable, with no public access, but it is quite a different prospect if well used and treasured green spaces come under the gaze of housing developers, whether private or public, and the temptation to make such land available should be off the table.

Local campaigners will have to keep an eagle eye out for any potential developer encroachment when defending their green spaces and Inch Park and Moredunvale Green activists will no doubt be alive to any such moves. However, Councillor Gardiner is not a bad ally to have and as planning convener he has more clout than most on this issue.

The council has to proceed with its housing aspirations as people deserve a roof over their heads and a home to call their own but the massive construction programme that will be required is quite a daunting task.

However, the difficulties that lie ahead can be overcome with the kind of commitment from the administration that can ensure that housing targets are met and not just ambitiously set.

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