At a meeting of Stirling Council on 9 December, Elected Members agreed to designate Gillies Hill in Cambusbarron as the first Local Nature Conservation Site (LNCS) in Stirling.
Since 2014, Stirling Council officers have been investigating the feasibility of designating an area of Gillies Hill as both a Local Nature Conservation Site (LNCS) and/or Local Nature Reserve (LNR).
The Council has worked with The Wildlife Information Centre (TWIC), who completed the assessment using national standards and local criteria. Existing data on the assessment area was collated by TWIC. This included site specific data collected by volunteers, including members of the local community, and regional and national datasets held within TWIC’s database.
The LNCS system relies on volunteer input to enable the identification, assessment and designation of locally important sites. Without these dedicated and knowledgeable volunteers the LNCS system could not function.
This assessment is the first work of this kind to be undertaken in Stirling for nearly 30 years.
TWIC reported: “Gillies Hill has had extensive survey work carried out to identify flora and fauna present and there is strong community support to maintain the site for wide biodiversity purposes, including education and public enjoyment.”
Stirling Council’s Environment Convenor Cllr Danny Gibson said: “We are very supportive of the community’s wishes for the value of Gillies Hill, with its unique biodiversity and heritage, to be recognised. The survey work has identified that the area’s flora and fauna indicates that Gillies Hill may be designated as a Local Nature Conservation Site. I commend the commitment and passion of the local community in working to help identify the species present.”