Talks break down over Helensburgh woodland's future

The Helensburgh Community Woodland Group (HCWG) say they have been unable to reach agreement with Margery Osborne and Thomas Paterson over the future of the Castle Woods and open land at Cumberland Avenue.

The group says its “generous” offer to involve the land owners in the future of the Castle Woods was rejected because Mrs Osborne and Mr Paterson want to build houses on the site.

In a press release HCWG say that at face-to-face talks in the town earlier this month, they put forward proposals to buy both sites at their full market value, to work with the land owners on the creation of community woodlands, and to name the completed woodlands “in a way that recognises the owners’ contributions to the development of the town”.

They say that Mrs Osborne and Mr Paterson want to build three new houses at Cumberland Avenue and 18 new flats at Castle Woods, where work is already under way on the construction of 38 new properties to be sold or rented by Argyll Community Housing Association.

David Robertson, HCWG’s vice-convener, said: “It’s really disappointing that the landowners are still looking to build on land with such strong environmental designations and are not prepared to join with the community in implementing some really imaginative plans for Helensburgh.

“There is absolutely no need to build on these areas of open space within the town when the latest Housing Land Audit produced by the council showed there’s enough land already available to build 1,244 additional homes in Helensburgh and Lomond, of which at least 252 will be affordable.

“At recent building rates, the land already available for new homes will last Helensburgh and Lomond until around 2050.”

The group's press release follows the publication this month of their latest newsletter stating that the Castle Woods is "still threatened by the owners’ proposal to replace it with a 72-unit housing estate".

News of the breakdown in talks has been greeted with dismay this week by councillors representing the Helensburgh Central ward, of which both the Castle Woods and Cumberland Avenue are a part.

Cllr Gary Mulvaney said: “It is disappointing that both parties have been unable to agree something and we are in a ‘no-deal’ scenario.

"The proposals as I understand them would have seen 80 per cent of these woods gifted to the community in return for three bungalows in Cumberland Avenue and 18 much needed affordable homes built as an extension to the new Jutland development.

“That could have been a long-term solution for the woods putting ownership in the hands of the community and creating homes for our families and may have been what Helensburgh would have supported – we will never know now.

“I have heard that some HCWG members are unhappy with how their leadership have handled this, as this no-deal leaves them with 100 per cent of nothing and battles ahead with the land owners.”

Cllr Aileen Morton added: “It’s disappointing that it’s not been possible for everyone involved to agree a way forward with these two sites.

"I know that they very much matter to the local community and it would be great to see them maintained and opened up for greater public use.”

And Cllr Lorna Douglas said: “The Helensburgh Community Woodland Group has shown a real commitment and willingness to see this community project realised and I think it is a pity, at this stage, that an amicable agreement could not be reached.”

This month’s talks follow the Scottish Government’s decision in 2016 to approve HCWG’s applications to register an interest in the group’s right to buy both sites under community land ownership legislation, and the group’s publication of management plans for both areas.

The government’s decision gives HCWG first refusal in the event of the owners ever deciding to sell either site, though Mrs Osborne and Mr Paterson have insisted they have no plans to put either asset up for sale.

Mrs Osborne declined to comment on the detail of HCWG’s press release, but referred to a letter she sent to the Advertiser in which she states: “Following the distribution of leaflets from Helensburgh Community Woodland Group at the weekend, we, the landowners of Castle Woods, would like to clarify we have absolutely no intentions whatsoever of building a housing estate comprising of 72 houses on the land at Castle Woods.”

SUBJECT: WOODLAND PARTNERSHIP OFFER REJECTED BY LANDOWNERS

1. Earlier this month, HCWG met with Mrs Margery Osborne and Mr Thomas Paterson, the owners of Castle Woods and of open land at Cumberland Avenue, both of which have been long designated by Argyll and Bute Council as Open Space Protection Areas, covered by Tree Preservation Orders and recognised as Key Environmental Features within the town. Castle Woods is also listed by Scottish Natural Heritage as an area of ancient semi-natural woodland and is part designated as a Local Nature Conservation Site.

2. The meeting took place in the context of the Scottish Government’s decision in 2016 to approve our applications to register community interests in both sites as the first step to a community buy-out. As a result, the landowners are now prohibited from selling either site without giving us first option.

3. In 2017, HCWG published a detailed management plan for Cumberland Avenue (see attachments), which received unanimous support from the Council’s Area Committee last December.

4. This year, we revised and updated our plans for Castle Woods (see attachments). These include:

* Creating better quality footpaths & boardwalks & more welcoming access points

* Constructing quality timber fences to demarcate boundaries

* Encouraging suitable wildlife habitats to promote local biodiversity.

* Removing invasive laurel bushes & felling trees that are dead, dying or dangerous

* Felling some non-native trees to allow native shrubs & trees to prosper

* Planting native trees to ensure a stronger and more sustainable woodland structure

5. HCWG is keen to actively involve the landowners in the implementation of these plans. At the September meeting, we therefore made a generous three-part offer to Mrs Osborne and Mr Paterson. This would involve (1) HCWG paying full open market value for both sites (2) both parties working in partnership to create community woodlands for the benefit of the whole of Helensburgh, and (3) naming the completed woodlands in a way that recognises the owners’ contributions to the development of the town.

6. Despite years of planning refusals and setbacks, the landowners rejected this offer because they still want to build housing on these protected areas. Specifically, they proposed three new houses at Cumberland Avenue and 18 new flats at Castle Woods, with the area left over dedicated to HCWG. Such further encroachment on to protected woodland is wholly contrary to planning policy. In any event, what’s left as open space would become much harder and less rewarding for a community body to manage. It would also result in a less attractive area of woodland for use by the community.

7. David Robertson, HCWG Vice-Convenor commented “It’s really disappointing that the landowners are still looking to build on land with such strong environmental designations and are not prepared to join with the community in implementing some really imaginative plans for Helensburgh. There is absolutely no need to build on these areas of open space within the town when the latest Housing Land Audit produced by the Council showed there’s enough land already available to build 1244 additional homes in Helensburgh and Lomond, of which at least 252 will be affordable. At recent building rates, the land already available for new homes will last Helensburgh and Lomond until around 2050”

Notes to Editors

1. HCWG is an active community organisation based in West Helensburgh that aims to manage local woodlands for community benefit. We operate under a formal and democratic constitution, and are registered as a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation. With over 120 paid-up members and a much wider support base, we are one of the largest community organisations in the Helensburgh area.

2. The attached illustrations of management plans for Cumberland Avenue and Castle Woods can be reproduced without any further permission.