In planning for outbreak

Council offers reassurances amid concerns over Old Firm plans

the report states that the Scottish Government “could have been better prepared to respond to the Covid-19 pandemic” and lessons must be learned.

“It based its initial response on the 2011 UK Influenza Pandemic

Preparedness Strategy but did not fully implement improvements identified during subsequent pandemic preparedness exercises,” it states.

Failures include a lack of guidance about how Scotland’s social care sector could cope with a flu pandemic, despite being identified as a priority.

Audit Scotland now recommends the government publishes national pandemic guidance for the health and social care sector as a priority.

PLANS to tackle matchday parking problems near Celtic Park and Ibrox will not be dropped, the council says, amid fears parking zone proposals could “fall by the wayside”.

Two public hearings have been postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic and, with no fans allowed at games, site inspections have not been possible.

Residents are worried the process will not be able to continue, adding to their “immense upset”.

But a spokesman said Glasgow City Council is “committed” to resolving the problems.

Event-day parking zones and traffic regulation orders (TRO) were proposed by the council after local communities complained about obstructive parking and anti-social behaviour.

Both Old Firm clubs – and thousands of people – objected to the zones last year, describing them as “flawed” and “unreasonable”.

Two reporters were appointed by the Scottish Government to oversee the process and pre-hearings were held last March, before lockdown restrictions started.

Hearings are currently planned for June this year, with visits to the stadium in October and a recommendation to the council in February next year.

But this has been described as a “very challenging” timescale and there could be further delays.

Celtic have also raised a legal issue – over “gaps” in theproposed TRO – which needs to be resolved before the hearings.

Ruth Maltman, from Dumbreck Community Council, said: “We had hopes of some relief from the misery of people invading the area.

“I would have to say to those who haven’t experienced it; we can’t object to people parking in the street but it’s the way they park, and the lack of enforcement by the city council of even its small existing powers.”

She added: “This delay to the Ibrox traffic management enquiry, which as I understand it is now likely to fall by the wayside because of time constraints ... it’s really causing us immense upset, distress and to a certain degree anger.

“We need to manage a way through this, and we’ll be pushing for the enquiry to be started all over again if, as expected, it falls by the wayside at this point.”

The council spokesman the “unavoidable” delays been “really unfortunate”.

“That is beyond our control – however, we remain committed to resolving the problems being experienced in these communities,” he added. said had

TROs would see permanent restrictions on identified emergency routes outside the two grounds.

Event-day parking zones would mean residents and businesses get permits to park as they would on non-event days.

Rangers described the plans as “flawed and unworkable” in the format suggested and claimed ageing supporters would be “disproportionately affected”. They also stated it was “imperative” disabled fans were not prevented from attending games.

Celtic believed it would be “unreasonable and disproportionate” to proceed with a parking zone “to the detriment” of the club, which has been there for over 125 years, and its supporters, without “considering and mitigating any such negative impact”.

Both clubs said there was a “lack of adequate” public transport for fans.