Village has been forgotten about

Salsburgh’s facilities and future investment are to be discussed at a special meeting after one of its councillors drew attention to the needs of the area.

Councillor Tommy Cochrane, who represents the Fortissat ward which includes the village, told of the community’s needs at last week’s budget assembly of all of North Lanarkshire’s elected members.

The SNP representative said: “I wrote to education asking for a new school for Salsburgh, and was told it wouldn’t get one as there was no new housebuilding – it’s a Catch 22.”

In a letter last month to our sister paper, the Wishaw Press, he had also questioned future plans for the ward and noted: “We have developments of a handful of houses at a time. Get brave, get building!”

He added that the local development plan and the major Glasgow region city deal have “absolutely nothing in it for the whole of Fortissat”, saying there was “nothing in these visions of the future for us in the far east [such as] plans to protect services by increasing the population”.

Party colleague Allan Stubbs, the Coatbridge North member, told councillors at the local authority meeting: “It’s clear to everyone in the chamber that the Fortissat ward is treated differently by this council, by accident or design.

“I’ll be asking for a meeting with the other parties’ business managers to make sure the area is treated fairly.”

Council leader Jim Logue responded: “I take on board some of Tommy Cochrane’s points and I’m happy to meet with him.”