Action needed now to reverse town’s decline
It is a familiar cry and one that will not surprise any of the candidates standing for Cambuslang West. Locals want action on the Main Street. That was the number one priority that residents gave to the Reformer when we asked them what they want from councillors in the future.
Recent closures by TSB, the Royal Bank of Scotland and Clydesdale Bank are also a pressing issue.
Jean Austin, Pandora’s Box, Main Street:
“The banks going would be one thing. They’ve ripped the heart out of the community by doing that and as a business owner I don’t know where I’ll be in a year’s time.
“With all the businesses and staff here, we’ve been reallocated to the Post Office for banking and that’s not suitable or ideal for things like getting change or cash.
“Secondly, the area has grown so much but very little has been done to match that. The doctor’s surgery in the area has far too many people ontheir list and we need something bigger to cope with the population that we have now. There’s no facilities here and the roads are a danger too. It’s a three-way system on a two-way road.
“There needs to be work done to reverse this and improve what we have.”
Attracting more shops and variety on the Main Street was a recurring issue with locals.
Mel Robinson:
“There needs to be more variety on the street.
“There are these empty units and they need to be filled and made attractive for shops to move here.
“Something like a pound shop would be good that people could use when money’s tight these days.
Cathy Jamieson:
“Have they been overpricing these units?
“Nothing has been going into here. If you don’t want a tan, a bet or to get your hair done then there’s not much else. It would make a difference to have more options.”
The overall state of streets in the area was another topic that locals demanded action on.
John Arbuckle:
“These stones on the pavement were supposed to be fixed but it’s like playing a tune going down them because of the movement on them.
“It’s shocking and dangerous for older people on them. They’ll have a fall.”
June Gray:
“The mess on the pavements is poor. “I know it might not be the highest priority but we could definitely do with taking better care of the place.”
A recent study showed that one in five business owners are questioning their future in the area. There are eight empty shops on the Main Street.