Last chance to halt‘destruction’of land

People who care about the green places of Paisley are being urged to turn up in their droves this morning.

A mass demostration is planned as a show of strength and defiance against housing plans for the Thornly Park university sports campus, pictured right.

Save Paisley’s Green Space spent last night in a scout hall making protest banners.

The show of strength will take place right outside Renfrewshire House in Paisley, the council’s headquarters.

And the organisers said:“All we ask is an hour of your time.”

The objectors will gather at 11am to make their point.

Developers want 179-homes built on the University of the West of Scotland’s (UWS) Thornly Park campus.

UWS, in partnership with Miller

Homes,wants permission to demolish the sports pitches, student accommodation and Robertson Sports Centre.

The council refused the application last year citing no affordable homes.

But a reporter appointed by the Scottish Government has now signalled their intention to grant an appeal from UWS/Miller subject to a section 75 legal agreement being drawn up between the applicants and the council.

Save Paisley’s Green Space handed in a petition signed by 1,160 people arguing it would damage wildlife and mature trees, cause capacity issues at St Andrew’s Academy and lead to the loss of historic features such as part of the former Thornly Park Industrial School.

The demonstration will also stand against an application from developers CALA, Barratt and Bellway Homes to build more than 600 homes on surplus land at Dykebar Hospital.

A spokeswoman for Save Paisley’s Green Space said:“We have tried hard over a long period to alert councillors and council officials to the inevitable damage and destruction to wildlife, mature trees, biodiversity and the local environment the development of the

UWS site will cause.

“The local community have, at every opportunity, been registering their opposition to the development of Paisley South sites.

“Our demonstration is to show council officials and councillors in this year of local elections that they need to listen more to the electorate.”