Letters from today's Herald on the erosion and destruction of parks and green spaces

Letters dealing with the issue of green spaces and city parks being sold off, built over and run down by Glasgow City Council.

Thank you for raising concerns on February 6 about the proposed destruction of part of Victoria Park [pictured] to create a car-park.
Glasgow City Council's promotion of this ridiculous idea and its declared intention to sell off the pitches in North Kelvinside raise serious issues of governance. Glasgow is striving to rid itself of a reputation as the unhealthiest city in Europe. How does this balance with a civic policy supporting the disappearance of sporting and recreational facilities?
Glasgow has a huge problem with childhood obesity and inactivity. How does a civic policy supporting the disappearance of sporting and recreational facilities deal with this?
There is concern about the resurgence of gang culture and the conduct of disaffected youth. How does a civic policy supporting the disappearance of sporting and recreational facilities tackle this?
Glasgow needs to be repopulated and must promote itself as an attractive, vibrant hometown for young people and families. How can a civic policy supporting the disappearance of sporting and recreational facilities help in this task?
I have real fears that the people running Glasgow, at both a political and a bureaucratic level, have completely lost the plot. The people of Glasgow must wake up and smell the roses before our open spaces are tarmacked over. These plans cannot be allowed to go ahead and Glaswegians must take heed and react to these warnings about the failure of local governance. A lot of effort must be expended in establishing effective and demanding community groups that can pressurise the local politicians and local authority employees into producing real answers.
Aye, that'll be right. But, hey, I am a Glaswegian, I live in hope.
Allan McKay, 4 Marlborough Avenue, Glasgow.

THE proposed loss of a large portion of Victoria Park is just par for the course in the city of Glasgow. Like so many other aspects of parks and recreation infrastructure, the football pitches that the council intends to tarmac have been neglected for a very long time. Such neglect either leaves resources open to asset-stripping or excessive costs to put right. Some cases in point are the Doulton and Stewart fountains (Glasgow Green and Kelvingrove), the main entrance to Kelvingrove Park at the head of Kelvingrove Street and the park in Garnethill. Both fountains were left to rot for years by the city council until vast amounts of cash were needed for refurbishment.
David Stevenson, 47 Cairns Road, Cambuslang.

FROM Monday's articles, it seems that Glasgow should perhaps be rebranded as "the more dear, less green, place".
Andrew A Reid, 33 Beverley Road, Glasgow.