Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
Politics in focus Graham Simpson Alex Neil should fight against housing plans
With Scottish Conservative Party list MSP
It’s a pleasure to be able to introduce myself to you as one of your new Scottish Conservative MSPs.
Myself, Margaret Mitchell and Alison Harris were elected to represent Central Region, of which Airdrie and Coatbridge are a part, just over a month ago.
I’m handling any issues which affect Airdrie and Shotts, Motherwell and Wishaw, as well as East Kilbride; while Margaret takes Coatbridge, Hamilton, Bothwell and Uddingston. Alison has the rest, which includes Falkirk where she lives.
We are currently looking for an office in North Lanarkshire and we’ll keep you posted on our progress.
I’ve been a councillor in South Lanarkshire for nine years. Planning is always a big issue for councillors and there’s a huge planning matter looming in Calderbank.
Earlier this month I joined campaigners next to the North Calder, where developers are proposing to build 3000 houses on greenbelt land at Woodhall and Faskine.
This is a beautiful area, a hidden gem. I say that because many locals don’t know about it and certainly aren’t aware of its rich history.
The Woodhall estate goes back hundreds of years and you can still see the remains of its innovative gardens.
Sadly, only the foundations of the original estate house remain. The Monklands canal started here and there was a railway too.
Calderbank, of course, revolved around the iron and steel industry. The Vulcan, the first iron-hulled passenger boat built in Scotland, was made here.
Now, it’s a lovely oasis of greenery and it is rightly designated as greenbelt.
It should be an open and shut case of simply saying no to any development proposals.
I’m certainly opposed to any housing here and there is crossparty support, led by local Labour councillor David Fagan.
Strangely, Airdrie’s constituency MSP Alex Neil has yet to express a view. I don’t know what’s holding him back as he is not normally reticent when it comes to telling us his opinion.
Mr Neil should join Conservatives, Labour and his own local party members in fighting this. I recently attended a useful briefing by Lanarkshire Health Board where they confirmed their plans to build a new Monklands Hospital.
Everyone will be behind this but we must await the details, which should come over the summer.
Lanarkshire will retain three general hospitals and the new Monklands will still have an Accident and Emergency department.
The big decision will be whether to build it on the current site, or elsewhere and that will be of vital interest to people in this area.
It’s a really exciting project and I await further information with interest. MSPs spend three days a week in parliament when it is sitting – Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday – and Mondays and Fridays in the constituency.
The meaty business will start soon when committees get going. I’m on the local government and communities committee, as well as being my party’s local government spokesman.
I fear the SNP may have some ominous plans for councils up its sleeve. I’m on the side of all councillors and don’t want to see their role diminished by more centralisation.