I HAVE had my say about Hyndland Parish Church's proposed demolition/development on Novar Drive, Glasgow. But Messrs Ireland and Gray in their letters today call me to arms again.
Mr Ireland refers to my ''many misinformed comments''. What are they? Both letters confirm my basic understanding that the kirk has spent too much on restoring its own building, has to do work on the community hall, and has found a developer who will give them loadsa money for both purposes. Mr Gray says it'd be #3,600,000. (''The costs involved would not be financed from 'say, half a dozen flats' unless one is prepared to pay about #600,000 for each.'')
Mr Ireland is mistaken in thinking that I, and the Hyndland residents who have objected, agree that ''it is a worthwhile goal''. He refers, a little sneeringly, to the ''grass, trees, and light deemed so desirable'' (by me in my letter).
My contention is that the kirk could do better by the community and the hall. I referred to Scottish Natural Heritage who, I understand, must have put up almost half of the half million spent on the upkeep of the main A-listed building, not to suggest that they might help out again - although why not? - but to suggest that the kirk might ask their opinion of the current, to me awful, scheme. They owe Scottish Natural Heritage, and what it stands for, a debt of gratitude.
Our community, yes, needs a hall, but we don't have to destroy our environment. And I doubt if the kirk needs three or four million pounds to continue its splendid patronage of the old church hall.
Ronald Mavor,
19 Falkland Street, Glasgow.
September 5.
AS Hyndland residents we wish to add our objections to the current proposals for demolishing Hyndland Parish Church Hall and replacing it with a block of modern flats and community hall.
Like many areas in the West End of Glasgow, Hyndland has been subject to an intensive building programme over the past few years, with new schemes going up in Hughenden, Lauderdale Gardens and Kingsborough Gardens. While more and more sites have been built up and redeveloped, these have been done in such a way as to preserve the character of the area, either following the red-sandstone traditions or - as in the case of Hughenden - in more modern brick but tucked away in a little enclave with its own style and character.
We were dismayed in the summer to return from holiday and find a planning notice posted on a lamp-post outside the church hall, inviting objections to the proposals to reach the council that week. The notice went up at the end of June and responses had to be in during the school holidays when many local residents with children were away.
Last week we saw a copy of the architect's drawings for the first time and were shocked by the modern style - the imposing round tower, brick and glass for the new flats and community hall to replace the red-sandstone church hall.
Yes, there is a mixture of styles at the top of Novar Drive, as Mr Ireland points out in his letter today, with the old church hall, a plumbing contractor's depot, and nursery. But these modest, unassuming buildings do not offend the eye or compete with the surrounding tenements.
Many residents move to Hyndland precisely because they like the traditional architecture. They do not wish to see glaringly modern schemes sprout up around them.
While we recognise that a community hall is important to locals of all ages, and that it should be in good repair with easy access for everyone, surely some compromise can be reached, that could at best upgrade the existing church hall or at worst replace it with something in keeping with the local architecture.
Surely no council planners with any interest in preserving the character of the West End could allow the existing plan to go through bang in the heart of Hyndland.
Gillian Macdonald,
Norman King,
92 Hyndland Road, Glasgow.
September 5.
PROFESSOR Mavor's letter today outlining his concern over the proposed sale of land belonging to Hyndland Parish Church to build flats out of keeping with the neighbourhood, strikes a chord with those of us who live in Bothwell.
Here, Bothwell Parish Church sold its glebe, which is situated right in the centre of a conservation area, to builders for a similar but much larger scheme. This in spite of over 1000 letters of objection and a large petition of protest by the villagers who regarded the massive development as totally inapprpriate to a so-called conservation area.
It seems to me that in Hyndland, as in Bothwell, the Church of Scotland now regards large sums of money as being more important than the wishes of the community. All in all, a sad state of affairs.
Dr William O Thomson,
7 Silverwells Court, Bothwell. August 31.
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