Owners of shops list parking as No.1 problem

Cambuslang’s Business Survey highlighted the big problems which shop workers believe is killing their Main Street.

A whopping 97 per cent of businesses identified parking as important, and 85 per cent cited it as “very important”.

Over 90 per cent also want more time for customers to park and shop.

The community council say 30 Main Street parking bays are limited to 30 minutes’parking time, rigorously enforced by traffic wardens.

Several shopkeepers commented that they have lost custom through customers being ticketed for even minor over-runs of parking time.

The Allison Drive car park, with 97 unrestricted parking bays and 54 bays which allow for one-hour parking time, is deemed insufficient.

The problems of crime, vandalism and anti-social behaviour were highlighted by 80 to 85 per cent of businesses. There are three major concerns: the perceived high levels of drug use and alcoholism, vandalism and graffiti, and a lack of police presence.

The current street layout is deeply unpopular among many shopkeepers. Most are critical of the fact that the single service lane is frequently blocked by a stationary bus or delivery van stopping to unload. Others say through traffic is diverted away from the shops making it impossible for drivers to stop for an impulse purchase.

The pedestrian crossing is slammed for its“counter-intuitive design”, creating uncertainty among users about which way to look when crossing.

The overall streetscape is considered to be poorly designed, with too many different kinds of paving slabs that have either not been laid on solid foundations or are unable to cope with mechanical cleaning. A large number of shopkeepers mentioned examples of customers tripping on loose slabs, in some cases having bad falls.

Another issue is the prevalence of waste bins, and the lack of a South Lanarkshire Council provision for these to be out of sight.

One shopkeeper commented:“You don’t see waste bins on other streets in Burnside or Rutherglen.”

Many felt that ignoring the problem of bins, and overflowing waste by shopkeepers, was symptomatic of the council’s neglect of Cambuslang.