I NOTICED recently that the land where the HCI Park is located, just off the Beardmore Industrial Estate, is up for sale.

The owners are Scottish Enterprise and it seems this is not the only plot of land they are trying to sell.

They also attempted to sell the large corner site near Freelands at the bottom of the Antonine Estate last year. There was quite an uproar from local residents who were surprised when they heard of the proposed sale and their complaints were sufficient to stop the plans.

People like their green spaces and it should not be assumed that every gap site is ripe for development, although if it is privately owned then the problem is a bit more difficult. Scottish Enterprise say they are acting to improve economic development by releasing land they no longer need.

The site in Balloch at Drumkinnon Woods is also a Scottish Enterprise venture and was recently refused planning permission for a major development by Flamingo Land. The furore of locals eventually forced the Trossachs National Park to refuse them permission to build their holiday village and other leisure amenities.

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In the case of the HCI site, it has admittedly been an unloved children’s playpark which has lay virtually derelict for years. Great for dog walkers but you wouldn’t let your weans near it. That said, it is a prime site right by the river but what would a buyer want to do with it. Build houses, obviously, and very expensive trendy ones, if they could get the planning permission.

The views would be unsurpassed, unlike the new big detached houses up for sale in Bearsden. They are going for £600,000, but you do get a nice fenced in garden plus a sunken location that looks rather dodgy if it rains too much. At a new build estate in Robroyston, I witnessed a proud owner on his knees scraping the moss from his postage stamp garden with a kitchen knife. I’m sure there’s a tool for that.

In Pollokshaws, a top floor flat went for £190,000. They called it a penthouse and charged £30,000 more even though it doesn’t have a lift. It’s a top floor flat with a view of other top floor flats. Am I missing something?

What do these places all lack? Community is what they lack. You can build fancy houses, but the marketing people and the developers don’t build communities. If you live in places like Duntocher, Faifley or Dalmuir then you are actually better off than living in some remote estate because you are surrounded by real life and ordinary people who use kitchen knives for eating their dinner.