A SCOTTISH council has officially banned arms companies and weapons manufacturers from using public parks to test their equipment.
Councillors at the City of Edinburgh Council had previously voted against doing so, following public backlash last year over the arms firm Leonardo testing its equipment in the Braid Hills area of the capital.
Leonardo, which employs around 1800 people at its site near Crewe Toll, was given a licence to test communications equipment in Braid Hills in December.
In June, Labour, Conservative and LibDem councillors voted against the ban, while the SNP and the Greens voted in favour.
But the council's culture and communities committee met on Thursday, where it agreed to amend the rules governing the management of the city's parks and green spaces.
The meeting came in response to public comments on a consultation on these rules.
While the consultation was focused on dog walking and busking, the Scottish Greens group said that so many responses asked for a ban on arms companies that the committee's convener accepted calls from the party to re-examine the issue.
Committee members discussed an amendment to the Parks and Greenspaces Management rule, which was brought forward by Greens councillor Dan Heap.
The amendment called on the rules to be updated "to include a rule that arms companies/weapons manufacturers cannot use parks and greenspace for commercial activity, in line with responses received to the public consultation".
The Greens, SNP, Labour and the LibDems all voted in favour of the amendment, with only the Conservatives voting against.
Greens councillor Ben Parker, who represents the ward where Braid Hills is located and has been calling for a ban to be put in place, welcomed the move.
He said: “I’m absolutely delighted that – at the third time of asking – we have successfully banned arms companies from commercial activity in our parks and greenspaces. This means weapons manufacturers can no longer use our public spaces to test any of their systems.
“This is testament not only to the Friends of Braid Hills who first campaigned against this issue, but also to all the members of the public who filled out the consultation and demanded these changes.”
Parker added: “At a time of ongoing genocide in Palestine, it is right that the council shows solidarity with all those suffering from military attacks and takes this small step against those who profit from war.”
The City of Edinburgh Council has been contacted for comment.
