Glasgow council accused of ‘kicking the can down the road’ over park lighting

Campaigners called for lighting to be installed last year after the issue came to the fore during COP26, when residents were forced to walk through Kelvingrove Park late at night due to a police diversion.

At the time, the council said it doesn’t encourage people to use parks at night, partly because lights would disrupt nocturnal wildlife.

But Cllr Jill Brown, Labour, secured support for a motion in December last year which agreed the council would explore the “necessary infrastructure to provide sensitive lighting solutions in our parks”.

However she has been “disappointed” with the progress. “One year on there are no more lights in our parks and there’s no greater accessibility during the hours of darkness,” she said.

Consultation sessions are being held to gather views on lighting but Cllr Brown questioned why meetings are taking place in dark parks.

She said: “The council resolved to prepare a paper on the necessary infrastructure to provide sensitive lighting solutions in our parks. What we’ve had so far is a holding paper and I’ve since been advised that there will be meetings in parks in the dark to consider lighting options.

“I can only imagine holding a meeting in a dark park will confirm that lighting is needed. I’m also not entirely clear why those meetings needed to wait a year until the following winter for darkness to fall.”

Cllr Brown, who represents Partick East and Kelvindale, added: “I’m advised that a further interim paper will come this year with a further, further paper at some point in the future.

“The point this so clearly raises is that when it comes to providing lighting in Glasgow’s parks, this can could not be kicked any further down the road if the administration tried.”

Cllr Brown said once it gets dark the city’s parks are “off limits for most people”. She was speaking during a debate on feminist town planning, with the council agreeing to a motion which said women must be central to planning and public design to ensure spaces are safe.

“It is critical that decision making takes into consideration all of our citizens,” she added. “I hope this means we will see a tangible improvement in the practical position on the ground. I would certainly hope that lighting in parks will be one of the first cabs off the rank.”

A spokesman for the council said: “We are currently implementing the plan previously reported to our environment committee that proposed an evidence-led approach to lighting solutions in parks.

“Three parks were identified for inclusion in a pilot programme and engagement sessions with community reps and other stakeholders have already been held for Cranhill Park and Queen’s Park with a Kelvingrove session to be held in the coming days.

“To understand the challenges with each park and to generate discussion around specific locations, types of lighting and other possible measures, it was agreed some part of the sessions should take place in darkness in each park.

“These sessions were scheduled for October when such an after-dark setting could reasonably be achieved and this approach appears to have been well received by those present.

“A report on the engagement sessions will be tabled at environment committee in November and more detailed work around specific measures for each park will also be undertaken.

“The approach being taken will allow for detailed consideration of a wide ranging issues such as biodiversity and public safety and will help to form an approach that’s suitable for each park.”