Residents are heartbroken at the 'disturbing' felling of trees at a north Glasgow housing development - and Glasgow City Council say they will investigate.
The redevelopment of the former Ruchill Hospital has been taking place over the past few months as Bellway Homes prepare to build a “bespoke” development comprising of 243 houses and 160 flats.
As part of the ongoing works, residents said a number of trees along the brownfield site at Bilsland Drive have been chopped down despite hopes that the trees would be retained as part of the historic area.
But council bosses have confirmed that the felling has taken place without permission.
Contractors were spotted cutting down trees at the former Ruchill Hospital site on Friday last week.
Agnes Roger, who lives across the road, has said it is “heartbreaking” watching the trees being destroyed. Ms Roger, 68, said that she ran down to the site when she was told of the trees coming down.
She told Glasgow Live: “It’s disturbing, it’s heartbreaking to watch. We need more trees, not less.
“These historic trees have been there since the beginning of the previous century and are natural habitat to all the local wildlife."
Ms Roger said residents had tried to rally together and raise their concerns about the environmental impact the development would have on the area but were left 'completely in the dark'.
She said: “We tried to voice our objections but when the pandemic hit we were told nothing was moving forward.
"Now it feels as though this was all done behind our backs and we were completely in the dark.
"Before the development started I would see all these lovely birds and squirrels. Now we just have rats running along because all the work has disturbed the foundations of the site. It's just awful.
“The nice big trees and lovely flower made the entrance so beautiful but now they are making way for hundreds of cars.
“We bought these homes because of the privacy and the natural beauty that this area offered and now that is being destroyed right before our eyes.”
The hospital in the north of the city opened in 1900 as an infectious diseases hospital and was absorbed into the NHS in the 1940s.
It was closed in 1998 and bought by Scottish Enterprise in 1999 before the land was then sold to Bellway Homes.
The category A-listed water tower and C-listed stairwell are all that remains of the original facility and will be maintained in the new development.
Paul Sweeney MSP, who originally objected to the poor quality design of the Bellway housing development at Ruchill said: “Whilst the regeneration of this long-derelict hospital site is welcome in principle, the devil is always in the detail, and I have repeatedly raised several concerns about Bellway’s plans for constructing housing that did not fit with the heritage of the site and its remaining listed buildings as well as a lack of protection for the mature woodland that surrounded the former hospital buildings.
"I am deeply concerned by reports that Bellway are felling mature native woodland at the former Ruchill Hospital and will be getting in touch with them urgently to request a site visit and assurance that all remaining mature woodland will be protected.
"I will also request that Glasgow City Council impose a Tree Protection Order on the site.”
Glasgow City Council have said that planning permission was granted for the redevelopment of the former hospital in 2021, but tree felling was not part of that proposal.
A Glasgow City Council spokesperson said: “No planning permission is in place for tree felling at the site and details of any tree works were to be submitted prior to the commencement of works, for the approval of our planning team.
“The case (planning) officer has contacted the developers about this and our Planning Enforcement officers will now investigate.”
Bellway Home said in a statement: "The tree removal works on the site of the former Rushill Hospital form part of Bellway’s agreed planning consent to construct much needed homes on the urban brownfield site which has been allocated by the Local Authority for residential use.
"The development will feature 1,2,3 & 4 bedroom homes all with garages or allocated parking space and will feature landscaping, with over 500 trees being planted to replace those we have had to remove."
