Work is to begin in the “near future” to reopen a footpath that was forced to close after several large trees fell on it more than a year ago.
The path, which runs alongside a flat block on Banner Road in Knightswood, is currently closed due to safety concerns.
Michael McNamara, vice chair of High Knightswood & Anniesland Community Council, explained that three trees came down on top of the route during Storm Eowyn in January 2025.
As these fell, a fence separating the flats and the path was crushed, stairs are said to have been pushed out of place, and a nearby wall was damaged.
At present, parts of the trees have been cut away, but the large stumps remain lying on top of the crumpled fencing.
Metal safety barriers were only recently put up around the site by Wheatley Homes, which operates the flats, to prevent people from accessing it.
However, debris has covered it for more than a year, which Michael claims has caused issues for residents.
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He said: “We’ve been told that the tree stumps are extremely large and would have to be removed with special machinery. This needs to be done urgently.
“It has also been determined that a nearby wall is structurally unsafe, so fencing has been put up around it over a year later.
“That would need to be made safe again, and the fencing put back up. The steps on the path were moved when the trees fell and are a tripping hazard.
“These also need to be fixed; it’s a lot of work. The path leads to the main bus route here as well as the canal and shops.
“The issue we have is that this footpath has obviously been out of action for a long period of time, and with the summer holidays coming up, we are worried, as there is a high population of children who play in this area.
“The path is not safe, not in use, and we’re not getting anywhere in relation to this.”
Michael claimed that work at the site had stalled due to a reported dispute between Glasgow City Council (GCC) and Wheatley Homes over who was responsible for it.
It is understood that the council owns the land where the fallen trees are located, and it is also responsible for the land that the path sits on until 2030.
Meanwhile, Wheatley Homes owns the damaged wall.
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After the Glasgow Times stepped in, the local authority confirmed that repairs would be carried out “in the near future”.
This will be a collaborative effort with Wheatley Homes to ensure the debris on the path is cleared, allowing it to be used again.
However, the tree stumps that the community council say need to be “urgently removed” will not be taken away as this would “cause further damage” to the space and could potentially result in the loss of ‘established biodiversity’.
No timeline for the works was provided.
A GCC spokesperson said: “Our focus now is to ensure the footpath can reopen as quickly as possible.
“We aim to undertake repairs on the path in the near future and ensure debris currently encroaching on the path is sufficiently cleared to allow the path to be used.
“Removal of the tree stumps will require heavy machinery, which could cause further damage to the space, and fallen trees do act as a haven for wildlife and biodiversity.
“We will continue to liaise with Wheatley Group on how to take forward the various aspects of the work needed at this location.”
According to the council’s NRS department, it is proposed that the tree stumps and railings/barriers be repositioned to clear the footpath of obstruction.
Wheatley Homes confirmed that it aims to remove some of the metal safety fencing once the clean-up has taken place.
A spokesperson commented: “We’re working closely with the council to get the path reopened as soon as possible.
“Our teams will clear the site of debris and repair the wall once the council has removed the tree stumps.”
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