Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
JIM LOGUE Community spirit ‘very much part of life’ in region
These past few months have been the greatest challenge this council has faced; and the lives of everyone in our communities have been changed in ways we couldn’t have imagined.
Families and friends have tragically lost loved ones and, as a community, we share their grief and offer our support.
The pandemic has proved that community spirit is very much part of life in North Lanarkshire.
The efforts to support people who are vulnerable, shielding or in need of assistance have been truly inspiring and give us all cause to be proud to call North Lanarkshire our home. It’s not just a place, it’s somewhere people look out for each other.
As restrictions caused by this dreadful pandemic slowly ease, we can now focus efforts on rebuilding and re-establishing our plans to make North Lanarkshire the place to live, learn, work, invest and visit.
The social and economic effects of this virus are profound and will have a long-term impact. We need to look ahead to tackle these new challenges and those that existed long before we had even heard of coronavirus; unacceptably high levels of deprivation, unemployment and child poverty and areas of inequality.
We need to transform our towns and communities to ensure they have a sustainable future in the face of reducing budgets. We have a positive plan for North Lanarkshire, its businesses and its people, boosting the local economy and creating jobs.
We had one of the fastest growing economies in Scotland before the health emergency and a new independent report shows that we’re one of the bestplaced councils to withstand the economic impact of coronavirus.
We still plan to invest £3.5 billlion over the next 10 years which, along with private sector inward investment, will create around 12,000 jobs and generate an additional £1 billion for the local economy.
Our plan outlines a programme of place-based investment that aims to address the range of different economic, social, and health issues that exist. We need to reshape our towns to focus on a broader mix of investment, and promote town centre living so our towns have a sustainable future.
We are absolutely determined to achieve this and as a long established Airdrie councillor, nothing would give me greater pleasure than observing the demolition of the former John Orr’s building, to be replaced with modern, state of the art housing.
The council will bring about significant changes by positioning local services in towns and communities. We’ve got one of the most ambitious housing programmes to supply 5000 homes by 2035, with many of the developments being in town centres.
Schools represent our biggest investment in infrastructure and we are committed to replacing every establishment not replaced or remodelled since 1996. Integrated town hubs and the smaller community hubs will modernise the school estate and offer multiple services from the council and our partners, including the third sector.
We also aim to transform our three country parks into attractive and sustainable venues for people to enjoy and become outstanding visitor destinations. Significant planning and investment is already underway for each location.
Working together, we can support North Lanarkshire to recover from the health emergency and build a vibrant future.
All of the above makes me extremely proud to be leader of North Lanarkshire Council at a time when there are such ambitious plans to make improvements in all communities.