Restoring Glasgow’s natural environment
Biodiversity loss is increasing due to change of land use, the impact of climate change, pollution, invasive species, and the exploitation of natural resources. We ensured that Glasgow was the first Scottish city to declare an ecological emergency - next we’ll take the actions needed to restore and protect our parks, green spaces and natural environment.
Supporting and protecting nature
We will:
- Support a Local Nature Network, connecting habitats across Glasgow, including the rivers, parks, cemeteries, and open spaces that provide our “green lungs”, so they capture carbon and become nature-rich. The nature network will be given statutory weight in local plans and council policy, and will include areas for rewilding.
- Invest in nature restoration, including native woodland planting and regeneration, restoring our peatlands, and creating new wildflower meadows in every part of the city, supporting our National Park City ambitions.
- Invest in countryside rangers and train more staff in biodiversity protection.
- Ensure the new City Development Plan is nature-friendly, including support for bee bricks, swift bricks, green roofs and roof gardens, encouraging hedgerows, and limiting the paving-over of gardens.
- Protect green space from unsuitable development and use the planning system to ensure that all new development results in a positive benefit for wildlife and the natural environment.
Nature in our communities
We will:
- Help communities to acquire and manage land as recreational greenspace, including parks, land managed for nature, community orchards and growing projects.
- Create a comprehensive City Tree Plan, including funding for new and replacement planting, responding to ash dieback disease, public notifications for tree works on Council land, strengthening legal protections for trees and tougher action on tree removal and compensatory planting
- Use nature-based solutions to manage flooding, urban drainage and pollution wherever possible, and invest in the expertise needed to do this.
- Work with local environmental groups and conservation projects to provide more nature-based volunteering opportunities.