TOWERING SUCCESS

Residents of high flats in Cambuslang were celebrating this week after it was revealed they would not lose their laundry rooms through council cuts.

The local authority proposed running down Cambuslang’s Rosebank Tower laundry facilities, among others in East Kilbride and Hamilton, to make a £10,000 budget saving but were out-voted by councillors.

Minutes of the South Lanarkshire Council Housing and Technical Resources (Special) Committee meeting of February 21 showed that Laundry Rationalisation was proposed by the executive director along with cuts to caretakers in Greenhill Court and cleaners in East Kilbride.

The minutes also show that the committee chair and another councillor approved the cuts but two other councillors objected and proposed an amendment which was carried, thereby preventing the rationalisation this year.

Cambuslang West Councillor Margaret Walker said: “It was not on the list of budget cuts presented to us, which is great for the tenants and residents.

“I’m not aware of any plans to change that.”

Fellow councillor John Bradley added: “Each resource suggests where savings could be made and this particular saving proposal did not progress. There are no further proposals going forward and I believe facilities are being maintained.”

Daniel Lowe, the local authority’s executive director of housing and technical resources, said: “As part of the budget setting process for 2018/19, a proposal to rationalise the laundry service in multi storey properties across South Lanarkshire was considered at a housing and technical resources committee on February 21.

“Whilst this proposal was not approved, the council will continue to look across the housing service on an ongoing basis for any areas where budget efficiencies can be achieved in the future.

“The council continues to carry out repairs as required to maintain a reasonable level of washing and drying facilities within the blocks who have this service, including Rosebank Tower.

“At this time washing machines and dryers at all locations are operational.”

Central Cambuslang Tenants and Residents Association was not consulted about the proposed laundry cuts, and residents only discovered the facilities had been saved when a notice went up in the tower block. It has since been taken down. Residents became aware that their laundry facilities were at risk after Rosebank Tower requested that South Lanarkshire Council fix the broken dryer in their laundry room in January.

They were advised: “All the laundries SLC wide are currently under review so we are not carrying out any repairs at this current time.”

The majority of tenants in high rise are pensioners.

One Rosebank Tower resident told the Reformer: “We have now been told the dryers will be repaired but at present there is one (of two) broken in each of the central Cambuslang high flats and they have been for some time.

“Cambuslang multis have nowhere that washing could be dried other than inside the flats or on the balconies. Drying in the flats is bad for occupants’ health and would add to the dampness issues.”

The other towers where laundry rooms were at risk were: Standford Hall, Sherry Heights, Logan Tower and Springhall Court, Cambuslang; White Cart Tower, Calder Tower and Clyde Tower, East Kilbride and Almada Tower and Almada Grove, Hamilton.