The Osprey: the environmental storm that engulfed a restaurant even before it opened.
The news
No sooner had they opened their restaurant than the Birks—the new owners of The Osprey in East Kilbride, South Lanarkshire—found themselves at the center of a media storm. A few months ago, the Birks bought the restaurant from the Carrigans with the intention of renovating it and turning it into a family business. However, during the renovation work, a misstep sparked outrage on the web: around 80 trees were cut down near the restaurant to expand the parking area.
Images of the cut tree stumps quickly went viral on social media, sparking harsh reactions. Many users called the action “reckless” and “vandalism,” accusing the owners of environmental insensitivity. Overwhelmed by criticism, the Birks decided to respond with a public apology, admitting their mistake: "We are sorry we made a mistake. We must raise our hands and acknowledge that we made a mistake in clearing the wooded area in front of the restaurant. Our intention was only to open up the space in front and, in the future, expand the parking lot. However, we know that this does not justify the decision to remove the trees." The family also stated that they had contacted both the local planning office and Scottish Forestry, assuring them of their full cooperation and commitment to replanting new trees. Despite the apology, the story continued to divide public opinion.
On the one hand, there were those who called for a boycott of the restaurant; on the other, there were those who chose to give the owners a second chance, recognizing their willingness to make amends. Collette Stevenson, Member of Parliament for East Kilbride, also weighed in on the issue, asking the South Lanarkshire Council and the restaurant owners for clarification on who had authorized the work. Fraser Carlin, the Council's planning manager, shed light on the matter, explaining: "The trees were not subject to preservation orders, so no permission was required or granted. However, in some cases, specific permission may be required from Scottish Forestry.“ Scottish Forestry, cited by Carlin, confirmed to the BBC that it had opened an investigation to verify what had happened: ”There is no felling permit for this work. We have visited the site and are considering the next steps. We will not comment further until the investigation is complete. Now that an investigation has been opened, it would not be appropriate to comment further on this case until it is concluded and the next steps have been decided." In the meantime, the restaurant remains closed for renovations. While the social media uproar is unlikely to subside easily, the Birks seem determined to rebuild not only the forest but also the trust of the community.
