MORE than 200 opponents of the Go Ape plan for Pollok Park have vowed to fight on as the Deputy First Minister labelled the public consultation "a sham".

MORE than 200 opponents of the Go Ape plan for Pollok Park have vowed to fight on as the Deputy First Minister labelled the public consultation "a sham".

Nicola Sturgeon was among a number of MSPs and councillors at a meeting last night at Burgh Hall in Maxwell Park, Pollokshields, to discuss Glasgow City Council's decision to grant planning permission to build the zip-wire adventure course in Pollok's North Wood.

As the council has an interest in the proposal, the application falls within a category to be notified to the Scottish Government.

Once the application comes before ministers, a statutory 28-day period for consideration will begin.

Ministers have two options: to "call in" the planning application for their own determination, possibly by means of a public local inquiry; or to clear the application back to the council for it to deal with as it sees fit.

Ms Sturgeon, who is also MSP for Glasgow Govan, which includes Pollok Park, said she would do everything in her power "through the appropriate channels" to support the review.

As part of the Scottish Government, she is prevented from directly involving herself in the review process.

But, speaking to the audience, she said: "I want to pledge my support for this campaign and will work on your behalf to make sure it prevails.

"I have said before the consultation process was woefully inadequate, and looking even further into it, it is a sham - it might not as well have gone forward."

Unfortunately for the Save Pollok Park campaign, the existence of a substantial number of objections is not sufficient grounds to merit it being called in.

But the campaign, led by Bill Fraser, believes a number of issues can be raised to trigger the plan being called in.

They have pointed out a lack of accessible toilets and facilities. Other issues include car park problems, protection of wildlife species, visual implications, noise issues and inadequate consultation.

Bill Marshall, also involved in the campaign, said he had visited GoApe's Aberfoyle site.

He said: "I was shocked at the noise made by the mechanical zipwires.

"Glasgow City Council said we would be able to hear them from only a few metres, but I could clearly hear them from 400 or 500 metres."

Objectors have until April 11 to put together their views, which will then be presented to the Scottish Government.