Go Ape has earmarked an alternative site in Pollok Park for its controversial treetop adventure course in a bid to appease angry residents.
As hundreds of protesters, including Nicola Sturgeon MSP, prepare to hold a vigil in the park tomorrow, Go Ape founder Tristram Mayhew said he will consider moving the course out of the park's North Wood and into a "less sensitive" site on the other side of the Burrell Collection.
But campaigners Save Pollok Park say they will oppose any site within the historic estate. They want the council to fund an independent, city-wide survey of attitudes towards its proposal to grant Go Ape a 21-year lease, after the original public consultation "failed" to engage residents.
They are backed by the leader of the opposition on the city council, John Mason, who has raised a motion calling for a review of the council's public consultation procedures, citing successive "failures", including G1 in the Botanic Gardens.
The council has received more than 600 objections to Go Ape's proposal, which is due to be heard by the planning committee soon.
Objectors include the National Trust for Scotland, representatives of the Maxwell family, who gifted the estate to Glasgow, and seven community councils.
They are concerned the course will disturb the last substantial chunk of peaceful woodland, as well and clog car parks and toilet areas.
Mr Mayhew told The Herald he has received "40 to 50" e-mails from concerned park-goers, many of whom object to the site in the North Wood, but not the park as a whole. Through these park-goers, he has identified a potential alternative site he is willing to consider, even if Go Ape receives planning approval for North Wood.
"There are 100,000 trees in Pollok Park, we only need 29. So we are confident there are other areas in the park that we could explore," said Mayhew. "Even if the planning committee approves North Wood, we will not be going in there yee-ha'. We will look again to see if we can address the sensitive issues, including the possibility of another location within the park."
Mr Mayhew said a site in woods on the south side of the Burrell car park had emerged as a "good compromise". "It ticks a lot of boxes - it is close to the car park and the kids playground, it is more visible, and potentially less sensitive."
Despite Mr Mayhew's offer, Save Pollok Park said they would oppose Go Ape regardless of where in the park it is located.
A council spokesman said: "We conduct a huge number of consultations every year.
We appreciate that there are times when people do not agree with the result of a consultation."
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