Always champion
As the summer holidays draw to a close and most schools in North Lanarkshire return, I hope those who sat exams received the results they needed.
If you didn’t get the university or college place you were after, remember to try clearing as there may be options which you didn’t realise were out there.
It is now one year since Shotts gained town status and the hard work to rejuvenate the town centre must continue.
The closure of the RBS branch is a bitter blow but I will keep fighting to bring businesses to the area and assist those already there to make the most of all that the town has to offer.
I regularly speak to people and companies in the area to find out what issues they face and try to work out a way to get these resolved.
With the work finally finished on Benhar Bridge, the next stage in Network Rail’s electrification process will be Station Road Bridge.
While all the elected representatives of Shotts agree that the improvements are sorely needed and will benefit the area enormously,
Alex Neil MSP, councillor Tommy Cochrane and I are worried about the disruption that the folk of Shotts and the surrounding area will be subjected to – especially if there are any delays.
With two, four-week single lane closures to begin with and then the closure of the entire road until August next year, the area of Dykehead will be effectively cut off from the rest of the town.
Given that the diversion from Dykehead (Shottskirk Road, Calderhead Road and then down Benhar Road) to the other end of the town will take quite a long time, especially during rush hour, this could make journeys by taxi extremely costly.
We do not find this acceptable and have written to Network Rail requesting a meeting to discuss this issue and ensure some form of bus link between Dykehead and the rest of the town. We feel that Network Rail has a responsibility to the residents of Shotts to minimise the disruption to their daily lives and will do our best to make sure that the company treats this issue with the seriousness and urgency it deserves.
The World Pipe Band Championships were held in Glasgow this weekend and Shotts Dykehead Caledonia were defending the title they won last year.
While the band will be disappointed not to repeat their success it was no disgrace to come fifth to 11-time winners Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band from Northern Ireland and all of Shotts and North Lanarkshire are quite rightly proud of their sterling achievements at the championships.