Time to get
It’s run down, there is no variety of shops and there’s more takeaways than available parking spaces.
That’s how the people who walk and work along Cambuslang’s busiest road feel about the state of their Main Street.
And following the news of the Clydesdale Bank branch closing, locals believe the hustle and bustle of the street will disappear completely and turn into a ghost town.
With constant battles with South Lanarkshire Council over parking and bin pick-ups, shopkeepers have considered moving their businesses away from the Main Street while residents are going elsewhere to spend their hard-earned cash.
Angeline Coyle, owner of the Tea Bay cafe, said: “We’re at a loss as to what to do but the main issue is the parking.
“Everything we try to do to improve things just gets knocked back by the council.
“We were able to put plant pots in to brighten up the place along the Main Street but the shop keepers had to contribute to that.
“I’d like them to introduce parking meters. This would give customers time to have a coffee or to get their hair done.”
David Lindsay, owner of Maestro Hair, agreed. He said: “You come down in the morning and it’s just full of parked cars. It’s a no win situation.
“The council tell us that there are 200 spaces in the car park near their building but all the council workers take up the bulk of the spaces in the morning.”
Hairdresser Kevin Rampazzo felt passing trade was scarce on a daily basis.
He said: “We need more parking spaces, there’s not enough people coming down. They just don’t have the time to come down for a coffee or get their hair cut as they’ll be fined for parking nearby.
“The closing of the bank will certainly affect the area. The RBS closed and the businesses are relying on them.”
Businesses like the Tea Bay and Maestro Hair admit they have lost customers due to the parking chaos that constantly surrounds the street.
Karen Crooks, owner of the Classy Chicks ladies hairdresser, has been in her business for six years and has suffered a slow decline in clients.
She said: “I’ve lost customers because they are fed up of getting parking fines. The council need to step in to encourage people to come into the Main Street.
“They need to introduce parking meters. It will encourage people to open up shops here.
“Shops who rely on a passing trade don’t come here because there isn’t any.”
LastweektheReformerLastweektheReformer reportedreportedonadonadouble blow for Cambuslang. Just days after the Clydesdale Bank revealed they were closing their Main Street branch, Greggs announced that up to 100 people at their Clydesmill factory could lose their jobs.
With many people taking to social media to vent their frustration about the future of the town, reporter Murray Spooner headed out to see what local shoppers and businesses would like to see done.