A new £3.5 million woodland park in Toryglen will be officially opened by Alison Thewliss MP at a community event on Saturday June 11.
The park is the latest development from Clyde Gateway and will feature an outdoor gym and a pump track – a looped series of hills for bike riders designed to be used with minimal pedalling. There will also be a nature reserve, boulder animal trail, and spaces to host outdoor events and performances
The Malls Mire Woodland Park project is part of a new £37.5 million Scottish programme of projects to improve the urban environment of the nation’s larger towns and cities. The Green Infrastructure Strategic Intervention is led by NatureScot and is part-funded through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).
Alison Thewliss, chair of Clyde Gateway Urban Regeneration Company and MP for Glasgow Central, said, “Malls Mire park boosts Glasgow’s reputation as a ‘dear green place’ even further and there can be no doubt that many of the city’s best green areas can be found in Clyde Gateway. I am thrilled to be officially opening the park and cannot wait to welcome visitors to this incredible redevelopment. I am confident they will see the Clyde Gateway area as a great place to visit, live and work.”
Francesca Osowska, NatureScot chief executive, added, “We know that connecting people with nature makes them happier and healthier and with Malls Mire Woodland Park local people in Toryglen can really enjoy the benefits. It’s another important step in creating a nature-rich future for everyone in Scotland, part of the solution to the climate emergency facing us all.”
Urban Roots, an environmental charity, has worked with Clyde Gateway to ensure the designs of the park meet the needs of the community.
Dr Gemma Jennings, community engagement manager and ecology advisor at Urban Roots, commented, “We are delighted with the transformation of Malls Mire. Urban Roots is involved in the stewardship of Malls Mire Community Woodland and it’s been great to see more people out and about enjoying the space as a result of the improvements. It is a real boost for the local community and biodiversity and we look forward to the further opportunities it brings for connecting people with nature.”
