Gillies Hill now Local Nature Reserve Site
Council’s call on Cambusbarron beauty spot makes it the first of its kind in Stirling
Gillies Hill in Cambusbarron has become Stirling’s first Local Nature Reserve Site.
The decision was reached at a meeting of Stirling Council on Thursday.
Officials told councillors the area considered for designation did not include land currently subject to a controversial quarrying application or areas that currently have permitted extraction rights.
Cambusbarron villagers opposed to further quarrying on the hill — strongly linked with the Battle of Bannockburn — are currently awaiting the outcome of a planning inquiry into the application, by Paterson Quarries Ltd.
Officers told the council meeting: “Designation is not likely to have a significant impact on the outcome of any development application within or adjacent to the site.”
However, they said the move would assist discussions relating to the mitigation and avoidance of negative impacts on the land, adding that LNCS are provided with a level of protection through the Stirling Local Development Plan.
Policy within the LDP states “Development proposals should not adversely affect sites of value to local nature conservation (LNCS).”
Since 2014, Stirling Council officers have been investigating the feasibility of designating an area of Gillies Hill as both a Local Nature Conservation Site (LNCS) and/or Local Nature Reserve (LNR).
The council has worked with The Wildlife Information Centre (TWIC), who completed the assessment using national standards and local criteria. Existing data on the assessment area was collated by TWIC. This included site specific data collected by volunteers, including members of the community, and regional and national datasets held within TWIC’s database.
A council spokesperson said: “The LNCS system relies on volunteer input to enable the identification, assessment and designation of locally important sites. Without these dedicated and knowledgeable volunteers the LNCS system could not function.”
This assessment is the first work of this kind to be undertaken in Stirling for nearly 30 years.
TWIC said: “Gillies Hill has had extensive survey work carried out to identify flora and fauna present and there is strong community support to maintain the site for wide biodiversity purposes, including education and public enjoyment.”
The council’s environment convenor Councillor Danny Gibson said: “We are very supportive of the community’s wishes for the value of Gillies Hill, with its unique biodiversity and heritage, to be recognised.
“The survey work has identified that the area’s flora and fauna indicates that Gillies Hill may be designated as a Local Nature Conservation Site. I commend the commitment and passion of the local community in working to help identify the species present.”
SNP group leader Councillor Scott Farmer said the work carried out by Stirling Council officers on the move began as a result of a motion submitted by him and the then-councillor Steven Paterson in 2014.
He added: “Gillies Hill is a site of historical and cultural significance as well as outstanding natural beauty and it is important that we do everything that can be done to preserve its natural state.
“However, many people in the local community will rightly be asking why this has taken so long especially since the Tory/ Labour Administration on Stirling Council opted to pass the decision over whether to continue quarrying operations on Gillies Hill to an independent assessor as opposed to locally elected representatives.
“Consultation with the local community, landowners, and occupiers must now take place to move forward with this decision.”
Earlier this year council leader Johanna Boyd admitted the process had taken longer than originally anticipated and discussions over the wording of the service Level agreement and the associated costs were more protracted than expected but had been completed.
Owners of land affected by the designation will be notified of the move within the coming days.