Public can already use Park of Keir

unconventional gas, including fracking and coal bed methane (CBM) extraction. It’s been two years since the public inquiry into the UK’s first commercial CBM proposal between Stirling and Larbert and surrounding communities are still waiting for the outcome. Scottish Government research was due to be published over the summer but has been delayed.

Mark Ruskell MSP, Deanston In national newspapers last week Judy Murray suggested that a benefit of the Scottish Government granting planning permission to build on Park of Keir is that the area will be made more accessible to the public.

The area is open to the public anyway under Scottish law but in recent years the landowners have made access more difficult, placing boulders to block parking places and constructing new barbed wire fences across routes used for generations by walkers, runners and cyclists.

Here are a few other examples of myths about the Park of Keir , which were exposed at the recent public inquiry.

It is claimed the proposal to build on Park of Keir is about tennis but it is also about building houses and the landowners will not build the tennis centre unless they can also build houses.

Supporters of the development say it’s the best way to develop tennis in Scotland and build a legacy to Andy and Jamie Murray.

However, there has been no research that indicated this is the best place to build a new tennis centre or the ideal way to develop tennis.

People who oppose Judy Murray’s proposed new tennis centre on Park of Keir are said to be against developing tennis in Scotland but if Park of Keir is rejected this is not an end to developing tennis in Scotland.

It is claimed tennis in Scotland is in decline and needs facilities like those planned at Park of Keir. Membership of Tennis Scotland has increased by 42 per cent since 2009-10 and an £11 million investment produced over 100 new indoor courts. In Glasgow use of free public tennis courts increased by a third in the first half of 2015-16, compared with the previous 12 months.

Contrary to popular belief, there is no legal agreement between Judy Murray, Colin Montgomery and the King Group regarding the Park of Keir development.

The only legal partnership involves the King family, who own the land and are millionaire landowners and property developers. The Park of Keir plan depends entirely on Judy Murray trusting Duncan King.

Again, contrary to popular belief, there are no legal agreements that guarantee the future of the proposed sports centre.

It is said to be essential to build houses on Park of Keir to support the sports centre but no evidence for this emerged at the public inquiry.

It has been claimed the land not built on will be given to and controlled by the community. However, the King family will retain control of almost all aspects of the company set up to control Park

The plan is based on wildly overoptimistic usage figures and wildly over-optimistic figures for public funding

of Keir. The community will have no significant legal control.

Suggestions that there is a good business plan behind the proposed sports centre did not stand up to scrutiny at the public inquiry, where the plan was heavily criticised. It is based on wildly over-optimistic usage figures and wildly over-optimistic figures for public funding.

Nick Pidgeon, Residents Against Greenbelt Erosion