§ MR. MORTON (Sutherland)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury whether the town council of Stirling had the option of acquiring the ground adjoining the King's Park and King's Knot, part of the King's Park; if so, at what price; whether the said ground has been sold to private parties; and, if so, will he say why this has been done.
§ MR. YOUNGER (Ayr Burghs)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury whether he is aware that Crown land contiguous to the King's Park at Stirling is being feued for building purposes; whether applications for feus on this land have hitherto been refused on the ground that buildings placed upon the site would destroy one of the finest views in Scotland; and whether, having regard to the interests of the town, and the public dissatisfaction caused by the present action, he will reconsider any decision that may have been taken.
§ MR. MCKENNAPerhaps I may be allowed to answer the Question addressed to me by the hon. Member for Ayr Burghs at the same time. I am informed that the land referred to is an arable field containing about four acres to which the public have never had the privilege of access. The Commissioner of Woods is not aware that previous applications for feus have been refused for the reason stated. I understand, moreover, that adjoining land on the same side of the Dumbarton Road belonging to the town council of Stirling has been built over. It has been arranged that the field shall be feued for the erection only of private residences of a style and character to be approved by the Commissioner, and the buildings are to be kept on the lower part of the field next the public road, where they will not be visible from the park or interfere with the amenities of it. The town council were, given the first opportunity of acquiring the land, but did not desire to avail themselves of it, nor, when the proposals for feuing were submitted to them as a matter of courtesy, did they intimate any objection to the land being feued to others provided the restrictions mentioned were enforced. In these circumstances I see no sufficient reason for interfering with the decision which has been arrived at.