Parliament Workbench

Petition · PE01696 · Session 5

Preserving Scottish Battlefields

Closed Submitted 14 May 2018 Housing & Planning
Signatures
0
1,245 online signatures with a country
Comments
200
Considered
2 meetings
in the Official Report

What it asks

Calling on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to introduce legislation to prevent the development on battlefields as listed on Historic Environment Scotland’s Inventory of Historic Battlefields.

What the petitioner did first

We have discussed the issues raised in the petition with Margaret Mitchell MSP.

Where it was considered

Official Report
  1. 13 Sep 2018
    Public Petitions Committee
    New Petitions
    1 mention
  2. 30 May 2019
    Public Petitions Committee
    Continued Petitions
    1 mention

Signatures by country

1,245 online signatures
  1. Scotland442 35.5%
  2. United States336 27%
  3. United Kingdom113 9.1%
  4. France87 7%
  5. Canada70 5.6%
  6. England58 4.7%
  7. Germany46 3.7%
  8. Australia42 3.4%
  9. Belgium11 0.9%
  10. Wales4 0.3%
  11. 16 other countries36 2.9%

Comments

200 comments, oldest first
200 comments · showing 1–50
  1. Liz Denton 14 May 2018
    Have been fighting for years to prevent house building on the last remaining bit of the battlefield fron the Battle of Bothwell Bridge. Very limited bit of archaeological investigation carried out several years ago. Some artefacts found and given to South Lanarkshire Council for safekeeping. The don't know where they are. Seems to me that greed threatens to take precedence over history. People died for their beliefs and it is appropriate that this is acknowledged properly. Think of the battlefields and memorials in France for World War victims. Just because battles were fought a long time ago does not mean that the victims should be forgotten.
  2. J B Caulfield 15 May 2018
    It is vital that legislation re listed battlefields is laid down NOW
  3. A P Johnston 15 May 2018
    I agree that legislation is essential to the long-term protection of our historic battlefields, and would urge the parliament to take the matter seriously and seek a workable framework for safeguarding sites which once lost can never be recovered.
  4. Elizabeth Miller Clarke 16 May 2018
    I think that it is vital to preserve sites of historical interest for future generations.
  5. Andy Nisbet 16 May 2018
    Once it's gone it's gone.
  6. Jeanette McGuire 16 May 2018
    Delighted to sign this worthwhile petition
  7. June Craig 18 May 2018
    Too much history going under the bulldozer. Let's save what we still have.
  8. Marjory Robertson 18 May 2018
    Yes, I agree that it is vital that legislation is laid down now before any further inappropriate developments can go ahead. Our nation's heritage needs to be protected for future generations.
  9. Roger J Hardman 19 May 2018
    We should be protecting the heritage of our history for future generations.
  10. Eileen Morris 19 May 2018
    I was born and brought up in Bothwel l and the remaining site of the battle of bothwell bridge is one which should be preserved and not lost forever to developers who have developed the rest of the village.
  11. Ian Coombs 19 May 2018
    There should be no need to encroach on historic sites. Our history is important.
  12. John Mcmorran 19 May 2018
    We need to preserve these historical sites, I would urge everyone to sign and save more unaffordable homes being built.
  13. Gavin Grieve 19 May 2018
    Protect our village
  14. Gavin Grieve 19 May 2018
    Save our heritage
  15. Hilsbeth Avril Clark 19 May 2018
    These battle sites are sacred to the memory of the men who fought and died on them.It is sacrelege to permit building on them.Imagine in years to come taking your grandchilden to a housing estate and trying to explain to them the battle of Bothwell Bridge? These sites our national heritage and must be preserved.We forgo thst at our peril
  16. Sharon Paton 19 May 2018
    Of course. These are historic sites where people died.
  17. John Reid 19 May 2018
    Respect the views of the people of Bothwell
  18. Margaret Cross 19 May 2018
    Our country our history leave it alone, we fought and died for
  19. Greg Stobie 20 May 2018
    Future generations have to be able to stand on the place these events actually took place in order to feel emotionally connected and completely understand the significance
  20. Janice crawford 20 May 2018
    Please do not change this historic village anymore, we are losing all of our histories sites in favour of new housing.
  21. Wilfred John Alexander Wilson 20 May 2018
    If we allow developers to but sites for their property projects we will denude our communities of their historical heritage and future generations will not forgive us for cultural vandalism.
  22. Jan Cumberford- miller 21 May 2018
    I used to keep my ponies for many years in the covanatars field Bothwell and my dad wanted to buy it and sign document to say he would never sell to build houses on it however then many years ago there was so much politics sadly. We stayed in Lang side road bothwell with a back gate from house in to field would be awful if builders were to do anything to this historic place and history.
  23. Frank Bolton 21 May 2018
    It is vitally important that we preserve these sites for the future. Children need to be aware of our history nd these sites contribute greatly to the enhancement of the learning. To visit a site where hundreds of years earlier our ancestors stood gives meaning to the history.
  24. Gavin Grieve 21 May 2018
    Protect our history
  25. Michael McColgan 21 May 2018
    It is vitally important that we preserve these sites for the future
  26. Muriel Forster 21 May 2018
    Historical Battlefield Sites should be preserved for future generations to fully appreciate their country's history
  27. Nathan Lafferty 22 May 2018
    It is very important to keep the history alive, especially for younger people like me, who would not get to experience and see where historic events took place
  28. Drew White 23 May 2018
    Vital sites of historical interest are protected for future generations.
  29. Hugh Mc Cormick 23 May 2018
    We secure the future by holding the past
  30. Jack Whyte 24 May 2018
    Totally in agreement with stated objectives
  31. LYDIA REID 25 May 2018
    Scotland but more important the children of Scotland have a right to their own history
    We are only the custodians
    Our MSPs are only the custodians
    If we build over it it is gone never to return
  32. Pauline Jewett 25 May 2018
    Both Culloden battlefield and Kiliecrankie are integral to our history. There are plenty of other places to build homes or holiday cabins. On the bodies of my ancestors is NOT the appropriate place. If the Scottish government does not protect these areas from development, they will lose a lot of support from Scots and those of Scottish origin
  33. Paul Smart 25 May 2018
    Battlefields are war graves and should be full protected and respected.
    Stop selling off Scotland to the highest bidder.
  34. Steve kesson 25 May 2018
    We must secure vital historical sites for our future generations
  35. Dot Menzies Holden 25 May 2018
    We need to safeguard places like the Battlefields and not allow them to disappear gradually under housing or roads. They are an extremely important part of our history, much of which is no longer being taught in our schools, and we need to ensure that developers do not take advantage of this lack of knowledge to build prestige developments they can sell for exorbitant prices.
  36. Dougie Kinnear 25 May 2018
    Protect our heritage and history from profiteers.
  37. KATHLEEN WEETMAN 25 May 2018
    It is imperative that legislation in Scotland is changed in order to allow communities to have an equal say with developers in planning situations. Equal Right of Appeal will be required as will proper consultation with local people inclusive of developers and local council members who represent the people. Centralisation of legal power in a Minister is not appropriate unless a plan is of specific National Importance. No builds on Historic Battlefields ,archaeological sites and GREENBELT
  38. Linda Schultz 25 May 2018
    I hope the powers of government will choose to protect glorious Scottish historic sites for the future of tourism, and the education of future generations!
  39. Jeanette Newell 25 May 2018
    Loss of a culture should not be repeated by a disregard of historical sites for financial gain
  40. Donald Brundage 25 May 2018
    Historical battlefields should be protected for future historians and to help teach future generations understand our history. Nothing like standing in places such as Culloden and absorbing the sacred vibes.
  41. Vivienne Patterson 25 May 2018
    Profit before an area of historical significance is a disgrace and a shameful reflection of general apathy of the masses
  42. Heidi Christiansen 25 May 2018
    Historic sites should be preserved for education and remembrance.
  43. Brent Reidenbach 25 May 2018
    Save these locations now before the sacrifices of so many are merely a footnote in a history book and forgotten as fast as one can turn the page.
  44. Susan Murray 25 May 2018
    Historical sites are our heritage and as such should be protected for future generations.
  45. Joy Boothby 25 May 2018
    War Graves must be protected from being sold and used to build upon!! Graves are sacred territory especially when men were killed trying to protect the
    Territory!
  46. Gregory Nunn 25 May 2018
    I am a Ferguson and Whitelaw, 2nd generation in America. Those are my ancestors in the dirt. That is my blood. It is but a small space. Leave it be.
  47. Gregory Nunn 25 May 2018
    Why take this small space, filled with the bodies and blood of my ancestors, and make money?
  48. Heather Leckie 25 May 2018
    This is a war grave and historic battlefield. It should remain undisturbed.
  49. Catrina Pickering 25 May 2018
    Do not let Culloden and other historical sites be desecrated for the sake of financial gain.
  50. Ian MacDonald 25 May 2018
    Historic Sites must be preserved.