Anger at council grants for gala days
Rutherglen beats Cambuslang
An MP has launched an astonishing attack on South Lanarkshire Council, accusing the authority of treating Cambuslang like a poor relation to Rutherglen.
Margaret Ferrier was referring to funding granted to the biggest gala days in the two towns. Landemer Day in Rutherglen receives over £ 4,000 from the authority each year while Summerfest has recently received £2,000, granted by councillors on the Cambuslang and Rutherglen area committee.
But the SNP member for Rutherglen and Hamilton West, who made a £1000 donation to Summerfest earlier this year, said that as Cambuslang generated £5.1million in council tax more than Rutherglen, the two events should receive the same.
And she rubbished the council’s response that Landemer was an historic event in a royal burgh. She said: “An entire generation have grown up with [Summerfest] taking place each year. “With Cambuslang continuing to expand, these excuses for not giving Summerfest equal funding status with Landemer Day are just ludicrous.”
MP Margaret Ferrier has sparked a fierce row with South Lanarkshire Council over Summerfest funding.
There are claims the Cambuslang gala day is getting second- class treatment compared to Landemer Day in Rutherglen.
The Rutherglen and Hamilton West MP has said that the two days should be given the exact same amount of cash.
And she has claimed the council’s reasons for differences in funding were “flimsy” and “ludicrous”.
Three years ago Summerfest’s funding was halved from £4,000 to £2,000, kick-starting a lengthy row between organisers of the gala day and the council area committee who decide the funding.
Landemer Day’s funding remained at £4,100.
Now Ms Ferrier has cited council tax receipts as to why Summerfest should be given the same amount, having applied for a freedom of information request about the total amount of residential council tax generated by Rutherglen and Cambuslang.
Ms Ferrier, who donated £1,000 to Summerfest earlier this year, said: “These figures demolish South Lanarkshire’s flimsy excuses for cutting money to Cambuslang Summerfest and make the case for funding parity with Landemer Day.
“In each of the last four years Cambuslang has generated around half a million more than the previous year and it is utterly preposterous for the council to lock horns with the local community over £2,000.
“As the MP for the whole area I want to see all areas being given fair treatment. Labour-led South Lanarkshire Council should be doing likewise.”
South Lanarkshire Council rejected the accusations.
Geraldine McCann, head of administration and legal services, said: “The standard grant for gala and civic days across South Lanarkshire is £ 700. However, Cambuslang Summerfest has historically been awarded a significantly larger grant by the area committee and this continues to be the case, despite the very challenging financial framework the council has had to operate within in recent years.
“In light of budget savings that have had to be found across the council the fund available for community grants was decreased following a review undertaken in 2012/13 and again in 2014/15.
“Recommendations presented to committee on how much funding to award any applicant are based on balancing the limited budget available with ensuring that the funds can benefit as many groups as possible.
“Lanimer’s Day in Lanark and Landemer Day in Rutherglen are large-scale events with additional historical and ceremonial aspects resulting from the Royal Burgh status of the towns. The grants awarded in support of these events reflects this and are made by the executive committee.”
Ms Ferrier said Summerfest’s own longevity should ensure it further funding.
She said: “Summerfest has been in operation for 16 years.
“An entire generation have grown up with the gala day taking place each year. With Cambuslang continuing to expand, these excuses for not giving Summerfest equal funding status with Landemer Day are just ludicrous.”
Landemer Day has been running in Rutherglen since 1974 while Summerfest was started in 2000.
Jim Nixon, chair of the Landemer committee, said: “We apply for the grant as normal and our application is there for everyone to see.
“We include the wider area of Rutherglen and Cambuslang. Many years ago it was simply Rutherglen but now when we have events we have children from schools from Cambuslang as well.
“The Landemer Queen comes from one of the four secondary schools, immaterial of where she lives.”