SCOTS have been urged to sign a petition against “appalling” plans for a horse track at the Bannockburn battlefield site.
Scottish Ministers have decided to take control over the application that was approved by Stirling Council planning committee last month.
A letter published on the Government’s Planning and Environmental Appeals Division website on Wednesday says ministers noted concerns around the "potential impact on [a] designated battlefield of national significance". Ministers also cited a potential impact on the Bannockburn Rotunda.
Former Stirling MP Alyn Smith has now urged people to make their opposition to the plans clear by signing a Change.org petition against the development.
The petition has already garnered just short of 2000 signatures.
Sharing a link to the petition, Smith (below) said on Twitter/X: “I’m instinctively pro-development but this proposal is appalling.
“It has (thankfully) been called in by Scottish Ministers, so please add your name to objections to a rotten development.”
The plans were approved by Stirling Council despite a huge backlash from concerned residents and the National Trust for Scotland (NTS).
The NTS said it was “shocked and disappointed” by the council’s decision, adding the development would “fundamentally alter the experience of the site”. The organisation previously told The National it may seek a judicial review of the decision if it is not subsequently refused by the Government.
Although the fields marked for the development do not fall within the land owned and cared for by NTS, they are within the known boundaries of the 1314 conflict and the organisation has described the fields as “integral” to the experience of visitors who come to learn about the battle.
Archaeologist and TV presenter Tony Pollard says that the fields host the positions taken by the Scottish army at the opening of the battle on 23 June 1314 and may also be the location where, famously, King Robert the Bruce defeated English knight Henry de Bohun in single combat.
Scottish historian Professor Murray Pittock, based at the University of Glasgow, also tweeted he found it “unbelievable” that “we are still neglecting our history” as he expressed his opposition to the development.
The proposals, lodged by Mr H Muirhead of the Scottish Harness Racing Club, include the creation of a trotting track surface and a single storey building that would house toilets, a bar and provide hot takeaway food.
Competitor and spectator vehicular paths/footpaths would also be built as well as parking areas.
The site is around 8.7 hectares in size – about 14 football fields – and is currently green field agricultural land.
The petition states: “The Battle of Bannockburn, a historically significant battle tied to Scotland's independence, is at risk of being irreversibly transformed due to a planning application for a trotting track on an area opposite the visitor centre.
“This battle fought in 1314 was a pivotal moment in Scotland's history and is deeply intertwined with the country's cultural heritage. The preservation of this site (opposite the visitor centre) is not just about maintaining a piece of land; it's about cherishing our shared identity and pride as Scots.
“By allowing this site to be developed, we risk losing an integral part of our heritage to progress, which in turn can have impacts beyond just the physical. Thus, we need your assistance in urging our local and national government to reject this planning application and place greater emphasis on preserving our shared history.”
To sign the petition, click here.
