Villagers’ petition to save redwoods
Protection wanted for five Gillies Hill landmark trees
A petition has been put together in a bid to to save the five giant sequoias on the top of Cambusbarron’s Gillies Hill which are threatened by quarrying.
The 164ft high trees are understood to have been planted by the owners of the Polmaise Estate in the mid 19th century and can be seen for miles around.
Last year Patersons Quarries were granted permission for a track linking Polmaise Road to Murrayshall Quarry, paving the way for quarrying to resume.
Work on the road commenced in January.
Approval had dealt “a huge blow” to the longstanding campaign to stop excavations resuming at the dormant quarry by the Save Gillies Hill group.
Some villagers recently put together an informal group to draw up a Change.org petition with the aim of saving the five giant sequoias.
By Tuesday morning it had more than 300 signatures.
Campaigner Matthew Strutt from Cambusbarron said this week: “The trees can be cut down any time Patersons wish under this planning permission.
“But we would like Patersons to leave the giant sequoias alone and quarry around them. It would be a great shame if they were to disappear.
“The five giant sequoias can be seen from around Stirling – across the Carse and from Stirling Castle.
“It would be a fantastic gesture to the Cambusbarron community if Patersons were to leave these five giant sequoias alone.
“These sequoias are very much part of Cambusbarron’s image. Sequoias feature on the primary school’s crest and on the graphic in the sign which welcomes people into the village.”
Last year a Scottish Government reporter upheld Patersons Quarries’ appeal against councillors’ rejection of plans, lodged in 2018, for a track to Murrayshall Quarry from Polmaise Road.
Granting planning permission, reporter David Liddell also pointed out that the principle of quarrying at the site had already been established.
Stirling Council had turned down the scheme on the grounds of noise, the impact on air quality and road safety – as well as the extent of tree loss on the hill.
Last month campaigners and members of Extinction Rebellion Stirling staged a peaceful protest against the resumption of quarrying activity on Cambusbarron’s Gillies Hill.
In his decision,mr Liddell said construction of the proposed track would not have the effect of changing any of the planning conditions of the 2002 permission, which he deemed allowed quarrying to be “reactivated”.
At that time Patersons Quarries told the Observer they expected to resume quarrying this year.
A spokesperson had said: “We are pleased with the reporter’s decision and will process the 16 conditions on what requires to be done.
“We would also like to work with the Cambusbarron community.”
Patersons Quarries were this week contacted for comment.
The petition can be found at: www.change.org/p/save-thegillies-hill-redwoods
The five giant sequoias can be seen from around Stirling