A lot to be proud of from last year

This is my first column of the year and I hope readers had a very happy Christmas and I wish you all the best for 2015.

The coming year certainly has a lot to live up to if it is to match 2014.

With a Commonwealth Games on our doorsteps and the independence referendum, the last 12 months have been busy and exciting in equal measure.

Of course, it’s natural to reflect on the year gone by at this time and your council has been busy too, looking out for local residents, especially the young, the old and the vulnerable, and working to provide the best possible services.

There’s a lot that I’m especially proud of. For a start, in August we opened a batch of schools which took us over the magnificent milestone of more than 100 new or totally rebuilt primaries in South Lanarkshire.

Thanks to our £800m investment in the young people who represent South Lanarkshire’s future, more than four out of five primary age pupils are now learning in a topclass environment. With our 19 secondaries already transformed, work continues on schedule to complete the primary school programme.

Our roads investment also continues, with £ 12m a year to maintain and improve the 1400 miles of road under council care. What’s more, this year South Lanarkshire signed up to the Glasgow and Clyde Valley City Deal, which will inject another £ 170m to bring forward important infrastructure projects for this area.

Meanwhile, our work goes on to provide the best possible services