5.5.
The key factors that have been used to identify the potential extent of a Wetland Park include: •
the extent of wetland nature conservation designations;
•
the presence of associated informal or semi-formal recreation areas;
•
the presence of abandoned or underused agricultural land;
•
the need for the project area to be contiguous and to avoid significant fragmentation by settlements or major development areas, partly reflecting the importance of creating an identifiable and recognisable area;
•
the value of providing a buffer around the most sensitive wetland areas;
•
the importance of avoiding areas with little ecological or recreational interest or potential, particularly where designation could act as a further burden on land managers.
5.6.
On this basis, it is possible to identify a core area for designation as a Wetland Park. It runs from Drumpellier Country Park in the east to Hogganfield Park in the west. Its southern edge is defined by the edge of Easterhouse, the M8 and the Monklands Canal. Its northern and north eastern edge would extend the Park northwards to the A80 corridor between Muirhead and Mollinsburn and east as far as the edges of Marnoch, Glenboig and Gartsherrie. This would have the benefit of including the proposed LNR at Gartcosh and Garnqueen Loch, but would also include the Gartcosh Business Interchange site, a number of former mineral sites and railway land. It would offer the opportunity to influence the quality of development in the major development that is likely to be brought forward in the Gartcosh / Glenboig area. The early stage of planning of this Community Growth Area does present some difficulties in defining the eastward extent of the project area.
5.7.
While the area may not currently meet requirements for the designation of a Ramsar site under the terms of the Convention of Wetlands of International Importance held in Iran in 1971, there may be considerable merit in adopting the mission of the convention, which is ‘the convention and wise use of wetlands by national action and international cooperation as a means to achieving sustainable development throughout the world’.
52