Following Councillor Thomas Kerr’s statement that he had “serious concerns about her remarks during a planning review committee meeting,” Councillor Eva Bolander expressed regret if she had “caused offence.”
A Glasgow councillor has expressed regret for implying that Rangers supporters on a planning committee were in favour of a new bar close to Ibrox.
In response to an appeal from former Rangers player Scott Arfield against a decision to deny his bar aspirations, Cllr. Eva Bolander, SNP, expressed regret if her remarks had ’caused offence’.
Council planners rejected the football player’s proposal to create a venue in a former bookmaker’s building on Copland Road. Yesterday (Tuesday), the city’s planning review committee’s council members affirmed that ruling.
A previous Lord Provost, Cllr Bolander, expressed her concern during the debates about the “kind of people who seem to be clearly declaring themselves as Rangers supporters and saying that this is a very good thing, which is concerning.”
“That is problematic, in my opinion,” she continued.
Conservative Cllr. Thomas Kerr, who had supported the plans, claimed that Cllr. Bolander appeared to “imply that Rangers supporters were supporting this application.”
“Can I just make sure that’s what she said?” he added. Because, considering the problems we have in this city with football and everything else, I am really concerned about it if it is.
“If that is the mindset of an elected member of this committee, I am extremely concerned.”
According to Cllr. Kerr, he has previously received “a number of threats” and thought the remarks were “totally unfair.” “Regardless of my opinions on politics, football, or anything else,” he continued, “I can evaluate an application on its own merits.”
“In relation to football, I have supported a number of applications for the opposing side.”
He requested an apology from Cllr. Bolander. “I can definitely take back that comment if it was offending anyone,” she stated. I purposely avoided naming anyone in my remarks.
“This committee has heard considerably worse things previously, but that was under a different chair. I sincerely apologise if I offended Cllr. Kerr in that way.
In response, Cllr Kerr said, “Thank you, Cllr Bolander. I just wanted to be extremely explicit about that because of the sensitive nature of this matter.
“I have previously received several threats regarding this matter.”
There was a four-vote divide among the council members about whether to approve Arfield’s idea. The idea was then turned down by Cllr. Ken Andrew, SNP, the chairman of the planning review committee.
Along with problems with waste storage, there were worries about how it might affect the neighbours. A lack of “clarity” on a “number of issues” had prompted Cllr Andrew to wish to continue considering the appeal, but his proposal was rejected.
According to him, a noise impact assessment that was included with the application was “declared as inadequate by our own officers.” He said that waste storage needed more information.
