Glasgow councillors urged to ask Scottish Government to devolve more powers

A motion by Bailie Martin Bartos, which is being presented to a council meeting today, calls on the city administration to engage with parliament to prevent the felling of more trees in the city and help strengthen the environment.

It comes just days before world leaders descend on Glasgow to attend the COP26 conference which will look at ways of securing global net-zero emissions and to create a “Glasgow Agreement.”

Independent Councillor Dr Bartos’ motion reads: “This council notes the approach of the COP26 conference and the need for everyone, globally and locally, to make a difference to the future of our planet.

“It believes that one part of an adequate climate and ecological emergency response will be to change the approach we take by default to our environment around us and to preserve as far as possible nature’s capacity for carbon sequestration.”

The motion also raises concerns that Glasgow City Council has some limited powers to prevent tree felling by tree preservation orders.

When it comes to making a tree preservation order across the whole of Glasgow in advance of COP26, the local authority would currently be required to identify every tree owner and send them a registered letter.

The proposition continues: “Therefore the council agrees to write to relevant ministers in the Scottish Government to open a dialogue about climate emergency powers across a range of sectors, so that Glasgow City Council may in future rapidly bring forward proposals – such as to allow protection and preservation of trees across our entire local authority – and so that we in Glasgow can take an ambitious, agile and creative approach to tackling the climate emergency.”

A debate and decision on the issue will be made today.