Council gives green light to plans for nursery
PLANS to build a nursery in Hogarth Park have been given the go-ahead.
Glasgow City Council’s education team submitted the bid to help meet the Scottish Government’s pledge to provide 1140 hours of free early learning and childcare for all children aged three to five.
The new nursery, in the south-east corner of the park, will be able to accommodate 87 children.
“To deliver this 1140 hours expansion, the council is committed to providing new-build early learning and childcare facilities in areas where high demand for early-years places exceeds existing physical capacity,” the application stated.
The Carntyne Road site will have four playrooms, a dining room, a reception area, offices, a kitchen and laundry room and toilets and changing facilities.
It will be open Monday to Friday between 8am and 6pm.
There will be no set sessions, allowing families to use their hours flexibly.
The plans added: “The selected site is located in the south-east corner of the park, minimising the impact on the park generally, and making use of the existing access road.
“This area of Hogarth Park is largely hidden from passing users and as a result of its ‘backland’ location there are issues with anti-social behaviour.
“This site will offer opportunities for children to engage with the natural surroundings within the nursery play areas and beyond into the park, and provide some much-needed activity within the park throughout the day.”
There will be 18 car parking spaces in total, with three for disabled use.
Plans were recently approved for a new nursery in Tollcross Park, which is also part of the council’s plans to provide 1140 hours of childcare.
FIRST Minister Nicola Sturgeon has been challenged to find cash in the budget to give all primary school pupils free school meals.
Scottish Greens Holyrood co-leader Patrick Harvie made the plea as he claimed “getting food to hungry children is a postcode lottery in Glasgow”.
He raised the issue after pictures on social media showed scores of people queuing up for emergency food parcels in the snow.
Harvie, a Glasgow MSP, branded the images an “indictment on the failure to tackle poverty and hunger in Scotland”
Raising the issue at First Minister’s Questions, he added: “This level of desperation is happening in the city both the First Minister and I represent.”
He challenged Ms Sturgeon to “commit to universal solutions such as extending free school meals to all primary pupils all year round”.
The SNP has already promised to provide free breakfasts and lunches to all primary children throughout the year if re-elected in May – a policy that would be brought in from August 2022.
Sturgeon said her party has “made clear if we are returned to government then that is exactly what we will do, free school meals to all primary pupils and children in early years, all year round”.
She urged other parties to adopt the same policy, saying that would mean “whoever emerges victorious from the election in May, we know that that policy will be implemented”.
Harvie insisted: “The First Minister doesn’t need to wait till May.”
THE release date for a documentary about the footballing legend Sir Alex Ferguson has been announced as he fights a lifethreatening illness.
Sir Alex suffered a brain haemorrhage in 2018 and revealed yesterday he fears losing his memory as a result.
He said: “Losing my memory was my biggest fear when I suffered a brain haemorrhage in 2018.
“In the making of this film, I was able to revisit the most important moments of my life, good and bad. Having my son Jason direct this film has ensured an honest and intimate account.”
Sir Alex Ferguson: Never Give In follows the footballing legend from his start in the streets of Govan and the factory floors of Hillington where he was a shop steward, to his 27-year reign at the top of world football with his stewardship of Manchester United.
He discovered his passion for the game at the Harmony Row Boys’ Club in Govan, before progressing to the Drumchapel Amateurs.
In 1957, he started his senior career with Queen’s Park before moving on to play for Rangers in the late 60s and then Falkirk and Ayr United.
Produced by Trainspotting’s Andrew Macdonald alongside John Battsek and Allon Reich, the film will have its world premiere at a free screening at this year’s virtual Glasgow Film Festival on March 6.
Filmed in conversation with Jason, Sir Alex recounts the highlights and defeats of his storied career in what has been called a “remarkably intimate and moving story”.
There will also be a question and answer session with Jason and Sir Alex after the exclusive screening.
It is expected to hit UK cinemas from May 27, if they are open, and will be available on Amazon Prime from May 29.
COUNCILLORS in four areas in the south and east of Glasgow have a generally high attendance rate. Twelve of the 16 men and women who represent Pollokshields, Langside, Southside Central and Calton were present at three quarters of more of the committee meetings there were expected at.
And six of them had an attendance rate of better than nine out of ten.
The Glasgow Times obtained the attendance records at committee meetings for all 85 of the city’s councillors for the last three years.
Today, we present the records for the final four wards of our series this week.
It shows that two councillors had a rate of 95% among the highest in the city as a whole.
Archie Graham, former Labour Group deputy leader, and long-serving councillor for Langside was present at 93 out of the 98 meetings he was expected at, including 100% for the 28 meetings last year.
Mr Graham is a member of eight committees, including the City Administration Committee and the Social Enterprise Board.
It was matched by Mhairi hunter, SNP councillor for Southside Central, who is also convenor of health and social care and chair of the Integrated Joint Board.
Ms Hunter attended 80 out 84 meetings in the last three years.
She is also a member of the City Administration Committee.
Others with above 90% included Norman MacLeod, SNP, Pollokshields, Soryia Siddique, Labour, Southside Central, Greg Hepburn, SNP, Calton, and
Jennifer Layden, SNP all at 92%.
At the lower end, between 60% and 65% were two councillors, Hanif Raja, Labour, Pollokshields, on 63% and Tanya Wisely, Green, Langside, on 62%.
Calton,