A group of endangered water voles are facing being carefully relocated from an East End park to make way for the construction of a multi-million community centre.
The new Baillieston Community Hub in James Lindsay Memorial Park is expected to cost around £14 million to develop.
A gym, dance studios, café, climbing facilities, library, soft play, police office, full sized outdoor football pitch and multi-use games area form part of the proposals.
Alex Maclean, head of programme delivery at Glasgow City Council, said: “We are looking at a family offer of climbing facilities, soft play and general fitness facilities that Glasgow Life believe will be a sustainable and popular family offer for this area.”
Drawings are being finalised and a planning application is expected during the Autumn, the Baillieston Area Partnership meeting heard yesterday morning (10 August).
And now part of that application will include details on how to ensure the safety of water voles in the area.
An ecological survey discovered small furry water voles in the park, which are a protected species.
Plans must take the mammals into account, which could involve relocating them to another suitable habitat.
Baillieston Councillor David Turner, SNP, said: “The east end of Glasgow seems to be a haven for water voles.”
Mr Maclean said: “We are mindful of that and will look at how it can be mitigated.”
The park is also to be redeveloped with an extension to the east.
Mr MacLean said: “We are taking parkland to build this new great facility so we have to be clear how we are replacing that amenity in terms of the parkland that we are occupying. We have been looking at site levels, biodiversity and wind shelter.”
He said the team is moving “towards a settled position” on how the site will be laid out to take account of the factors.
Money for the hub will come from the Community Growth Fund originating from housing developments in the area. The exact cost is yet to be confirmed and other funding sources are necessary to raise the cash according to a council paper.
The community hub was first proposed more than a decade ago.
