Drivers bypass relief road
I refer to the article in last week’s Rutherglen Reformer regarding the Cathkin Relief Road.
I have stated on many occasions that this ill thought out project would not achieve its stated aims, one of which was to alleviate traffic pressure on residential streets in the wider Burnside area.
It is clear from the article that residential streets continue to be used by motorists, who realise that there is no advantage in using the new “relief ” road.
What a waste of £18.5 million of public money and also the destruction of a much used area of green space.
Open letter for council leader John Ross Having been born and raised in Cambuslang, I have witnessed many changes to Scotland’s oldest village, however in recent years I have watched in some despair at the sad decline of our main street and town centre.
There are many contributory factors to this, including a lack of parking, prohibiting easy access to the surviving shops and businesses.
Indeed you may be aware of the survey carried out by South Lanarkshire Council in 2013, where 90 per cent of businesses in Cambuslang confirmed that parking “did not meet the needs of their customers.”
Add a poor mix of shops with no “anchor” store, an unattractive street littered with waste bins, paving constantly in need of repair and it is not hard to understand why footfall has declined to such a level that all banking facilities have now been removed.
This in turn only exacerbates issues for the remaining businesses who are losing custom to other local towns where elderly people in particular can easily park, access their money and spend time browsing through a better mix of shops.
In September last year, I decided to start a petition to “save cambuslang.” I wondered if, like me, other residents felt the same way. Well the people have spoken.
Six-thousands-one-hundred and twenty-eight local residents and business owners have signed the petition (online and offline) and I have been staggered at the strength of feeling people have displayed at the lack of investment in their town.
These signatures represent over 50 per cent of the population of the Cambuslang Community Council area and a quarter of the wider town’s population.
The scale of response to the petition and the comments offered by these residents reflect their despair, frustration and anger at the state of the Main Street, the lack of facilities available in the town and the lack of a South Lanarkshire Council strategy to improve the situation.
According to census data, Cambuslang’s population rose by almost 5,000 between 2001 and 2011.
If the projections of the Glasgow and Clyde Valley Structure Plan are valid, we will see a further significant increase in population over the next 15 years.
There is a strong feeling that although the population of Cambuslang is rising, with the new housing developments which attract more families to the area, there is no provision for bringing these families into the heart of the community.
Further, there is a widespread belief that little of the additional council tax revenue being generated by new housing is being used to improve Cambuslang town centre.
Indeed, we seem to see only downsides with pressure on health services, lack of parking, an increase in traffic flows, congestion and pollution.
Equally worrying, the community of Cambuslang is poorly involved in decisions on its future.
Strategic and operational decisions are made affecting Cambuslang by departments in South Lanarkshire Council without active consultation with the people directly affected by those decisions.
We are most definitely a community with a heart, but a town without a flourishing centre – a missing source of civic pride. As you may be aware, a new group called Cambuslang Future is being established through Cambuslang Community Council.
This will comprise: a task force of committed local residents, business people and other stakeholders who are willing to give time and energy to improving the future of Cambuslang; and a wider forum of elected members, clubs, churches, associations, residents’ groups and others to set the strategic framework for the town’s improvement.
We will ensure that the residents of Cambuslang have a voice, that we consult and listen to the wider population and move forward as a community to improve our town. Clare Williamson Cambuslang Future
Tory position will create constitutional crisis Scotland has been given a slap down by the Theresa May government and the Scottish Secretary, David Mundell.
During parliament’s most recent debates and votes on the EU Withdrawal Bill (Brexit bill), David Mundell convinced his other Scottish Tory MPs not to support any opposition amendments to the bill by giving them his assurance that they would have the opportunity to scrutinise and vote on amendments concerning devolved matters for Scotland at its report stage.
This was to ensure that the government did not suffer any further defeats.
It now transpires that there will be no next stage for them or any other MP as May’s government will now send the bill to the unelected House of Lords.
The reason they gave is that any amendments would miss the deadline – aye, right!
The reality now is that 800 odd lords, dames, bishops and baronesses will decide what is in the best interests of Scotland and what they think is good for us.
No SNP voice will be heard there, because they don’t accept peerages.
If the bill becomes law, is unamended and does not take into account matters that are devolved to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, the position of the Scottish and Welsh governments is that they will not grant legislative consent, a stance which at present has unanimous support at Holyrood.
A position of defiance for Scotland that Theresa May can ignore, but in so doing would create a constitutional crisis.
Robert Brennan Machrie Road Castlemilk Thankstoworkers Via your letters page I’d like to take the opportunity to say something which I’m sure all your readers will agree with.
Thank you to the council workers who worked all hours clearing the roads and pavements and gritting them. D McKenzie via email