The site, located within the historic St Vincent Crescent Conservation Area, has become the focus of growing concern among local residents, councillors and MSPs who believe the issues raised extend far beyond a single planning application.

Although Glasgow City Council’s Planning Applications Committee indicated it was minded to grant permission for a residential development, the decision cannot yet be finalised because a Section 75 legal agreement remains unsigned. Scottish Ministers therefore still have an opportunity to intervene and decide whether the application should be considered at a national level.

The local community believe the issue is not simply whether housing should be built on one former bowling green. They believe Corunna raises broader questions about how Scotland balances development pressures, the protection of urban green space, the future of conservation areas and the role communities should play in decisions affecting land and assets that are important to them.

Dr David Johnson, trustee of Friends of St Vincent Crescent Conservation Area, said: “This isn’t just about one site. If a protected green space within a conservation area can be lost despite clear policy objections and planners recommending refusal, then what message does that send about the future protection of green spaces elsewhere?”

Dr Johnson added that the Ward 10 area of Glasgow has the least green space per head of population in Glasgow. He said: “By ignoring their own planners, the council has sent a message that any historic bowling green or urban park in Scotland is fair game for private developers. We are asking the Planning Minister to step in, uphold National Planning Framework 4, and protect this land”.

Friends of St Vincent Crescent Conservation Area say the former bowling green is one of a number of open spaces that contribute to the character of the St Vincent Crescent Conservation Area. It argues that the loss of such land would not only affect local residents but could also influence how similar sites are treated elsewhere in Scotland.

The community believes the application raises important questions about the future of urban green space at a time when national policy increasingly emphasises biodiversity, public health, climate resilience and access to nature. It also believes there are wider questions about how communities can meaningfully participate in shaping the future of local assets where alternative community-led proposals exist.

Heather Yearwood of Community Land Scotland said: “What happens at Corunna matters beyond Glasgow. This case brings together issues that communities across Scotland are grappling with, including the loss of urban green space, the future of conservation areas and the role local people should have in decisions about important community assets.

“The question facing Scottish Ministers is not whether they support or oppose this development. The question is whether the issues raised by Corunna are important enough to warrant national scrutiny. Given the implications for green space, conservation areas and community-led alternatives, we believe the answer should be yes.”

With the planning process continuing, residents are now urging Scottish Ministers to provide a clear response to the requests for a call-in.

They argue that what happens at Corunna will not simply determine the future of one site in Glasgow, but may also signal how Scotland intends to balance development, conservation and community aspirations in similar cases across the country.