Consultation Digest (Local) Issue 108, 17 March 2022

It’s a long road that has no turning.

Happy St Patrick’s Day! There’s good news about Spaces for People measures in the city – the TRO for Kelvin Way is out. However, there’s more mixed news on SfP measures in towns. After East Renfrewshire’s about turn on Ayr Rd/Fenwick Rd, now Renfrewshire’s Paisley to Howwood protected route is being removed. In contrast, Inverclyde vote to keep an SfP route in Greenock.

The long-awaited city centre campuses consultation is open about (steep!) routes around Strathclyde Uni and City of Glasgow College. Meanwhile, a few Avenues are under scrutiny, there’s more secure bike parking on the way and Barclays is nearly finished with West St.

Forthcoming Consultation

Glasgow City Council: “proposal to create a ‘People First Zone’ – between Hope Street, Cowcaddens Road, North Hanover Street / Glassford Street and Howard Street – where people are able to easily and safely walk and wheel around, and feel that they – and not vehicles – have priority.” Apparently, a “six-week consultation on the City Centre Transformation Plan will begin in May.” Much more notice than we usually get from GCC – it probably has something to do with the ‘purdah’/pre-election period starting this week.

Contents
(new/updated items in bold – link jumps to article)

Section 1: Current Consultations

1. St Helen’s Primary School, Bishopbriggs TRO
2. A81 Milngavie Road/Maryhill Road TRO
3. Electric Vehicle Charging Places – East Dunbartonshire TROs
4. New Hospital Plans – Airdrie (Monklands Replacement Project)
5. ‘Various Roads’ (North Lanarkshire schools) TRO
6. School Streets, Glasgow TRO (Merrylee/OLA)
7. Kelvin Way TRO
8. City Centre Campus/‘Learning Quarter’ (People-First infrastructure)
9. Yorkhill to Anderston Liveable Neighbourhoods
10. Drumchapel Local Development Framework
11. Malls Mire survey
12. *ADDITION: Greenock to Battery Park SfP lane

Section 2: Consultation Feedback

1. Howwood to Paisley, cycle lane removal (Johnstone, Renfrewshire)
2. Secure On-Street Cycle Parking Pilot (Glasgow)
3. Argyle St (West) and Cambridge St design review
4. Barclays, West St update

Section 1: Current Consultations
(in date order for responses)

1.1: St Helen’s Primary School, Bishopbriggs TRO

Council: East Dunbartonshire.
Area: Wester Cleddens Rd and Pentland Dr, Bishopbriggs.
Subject: Parking restrictions around St Helen’s Primary School. It’s across Wester Cleddens Rd from Bishopbriggs Academy and Thomas Muir Primary School (near to the Wester Way).
First featured: Digest 106, Item 1.7.
Website links: St Helen’s PS TRO (combined PDF).
Deadline: 18 March 2022.

1.2: A81 Milngavie Road/Maryhill Road TRO

Council: East Dunbartonshire.
Area: Southern part of Bearsden between Kessington Public Hall and Garscube Estate.
Subject: Short sections of footway at the corner of MacFarlane St and Killermont St and along Maryhill Rd near Cluny Park. The current layout dates from 2016 during the fallout from the decision to halt the Bearsway. These bits of shared path are useful links to get to Garscube Campus and follow paths along the River Kelvin into Glasgow. It’s not clear why the TRO has come out now but, given the recent history, local members may want to contact EDC to support it.
First featured: Digest 106, Item 1.8.
Website links: A81 footway redetermination TRO (combined PDF).
Deadline: 18 March 2022.

1.3: Electric Vehicle Charging Places – East Dunbartonshire TROs

Council: East Dunbartonshire.
Subject: EDC are installing EV charging points across its area. In the east – Bishopbriggs, Kirkintilloch, Lennoxtown, Lenzie, Milton Of Campsie, Torrance and Twechar. Meanwhile, the west just seems to be Milngavie. The drawings don’t show if the chargers will be on the carriageway or footway.
First featured: Digest 106, Item 1.9.
Website links: West EV chargers (combined PDF) and East EV chargers (combined PDF).
Deadline: 21 March 2022.

1.4: New Hospital Plans – Airdrie (Monklands Replacement Project)

Organisation: NHS Lanarkshire.
Area: Wester Moffat Farm, east of Airdrie, North Lanarkshire.
Subject: The current University Hospital Monklands, on the western edge of Airdrie, is due to be replaced. So, a new acute hospital is to be built on former farmland recently bought by NHS Lanarkshire. The architects, Keppie, are showing drawings and visuals for feedback ahead of a planning application. These include an active travel route west towards Drumgelloch train station. Also, a large staff bike parking store has recently appeared on the plans (across the road from a hospital entrance). So far there’s still no route east, to bypass the bit of NCN75 on the fast A89 at Plains/Caldercruix (towards the Airdrie–Bathgate path). On the plus side, parts of the A89 between Airdrie and Plains will have speed limits reduced. The East Airdrie Link Road (formerly Airdrie Bypass) is a proposed single carriageway road between the M8 and Cumbernauld.
First featured: Digest 76, Item 3.3.
Website links: Monklands Replacement Project website.
Deadline: 29 March 2022.

1.5: ‘Various Roads’ (North Lanarkshire schools) TRO

Council: North Lanarkshire.
Subject: Parking restrictions near 18 schools across North Lanarkshire (including 14 primary schools). These include yellow lines and ‘Keep Clear’ markings. The Statement of Reasons says the action comes from recommendation by a Road Safety Working Group.
First featured: Digest 107, Item 1.9.
Website links: Various Roads TRO (combined PDF) – NLC Consultations page.
Deadline: 30 March 2022.

1.6: School Streets, Glasgow TRO (Merrylee/OLA)

Council: Glasgow City.
Subject: ‘Take 2’ of this School Streets Traffic Order. This one only covers two schools – the neighbouring Merrylee Primary School and Our Lady of the Annunciation Primary School near Langside Drive/Merrylee Rd. The boundary has been extended since the previous version of the TRO went out. It now includes parts of Cherrybank Rd and Glasserton Rd.
First featured: Digest 105, Item 1.2.
Website links: School Streets TRO – revised (combined PDF).
Deadline: 31 March 2022.

1.7: Kelvin Way TRO

Council: Glasgow City.
Subject: Traffic Regulation Order to help make the temporary Spaces for People measures on Kelvin Way permanent. The street is filtered at either end. The southern end has a short 2-way protected bike lane next to 1-way access to Kelvingrove Museum. GoBike helped organise Car Free Day 2018 on Kelvin Way, which showed the potential now being realised with the current signs, paint and planters. It’s become a well-used street by people walking, cycling, running, scooting and skating. Also, it’s due to link to a wider network in the Yorkhill and Kelvingrove Cycling Village (see Yorkhill–Anderston LN post, below).
First featured: Glasgow Spaces for People blog post.
Website links: Kelvin Way TRO (combined PDF).
Deadline: 7 April.

1.8: City Centre Campus/‘Learning Quarter’ (People-First infrastructure)

Organisation: Stantec on behalf of a partnership between University of Strathclyde, City of Glasgow College and Glasgow City Council.
Area: Townhead/Cathedral St area of city centre.
Subject: As promised in Digest 107, consultation starts on infrastructure around the universities and college north-east of the city centre (‘Learning Quarter’). Many streets nearby are already due to be part of the city’s Avenues Project, including Cathedral St and North Hanover St. This project would link between those to the uni/college campuses. Firstly, the Western Route includes steep Montrose St, as it goes past Strathclyde Uni’s ‘Heart of the Campus’ (Rottenrow Gardens). There’s another hill past City of Glasgow College towards Buchanan Bus Station. Secondly, the Eastern Route would connect to Rottenrow East and link to Avenues Plus routes on George St and John Knox St. Thirdly, the Northern Route goes from a lane east of CoGC up towards the new Sighthill Bridge. The survey asks about different options for streets on the routes. Also, the ‘web hub’ includes context and evidence about the benefits of active travel.
First featured: Digest 74, Item 2.1.
Website links: Public Engagement Web Hub.
Deadline: 8 May 2022.

1.9: Yorkhill to Anderston Liveable Neighbourhoods

Council: Glasgow City.
Area: From Yorkhill, Kelvinhaugh, Stobcross, Sandyford, Finnieston to Anderston.
Subject: The latest Liveable Neighbourhoods consultation covers the area between the River Clyde, River Kelvin, Kelvingrove Park and M8. There is well used active travel infrastructure in the area, including NCN7/75 and the West City Way. Also, the (almost finished?) lanes funded by City Deal on Bunhouse Rd and Old Dumbarton Rd. Further segregated cyclepaths are due for Yorkhill and Kelvingrove Cycling Village, including Minerva St and Haugh Rd (where Bike for Good will hopefully continue). However, there are still plenty of gaps, as shown when the riverbank was shut during COP26. A new bridge across the Clyde at the Riverside Museum is due to start construction. Meanwhile, the SEC’s redevelopment may close off the red ‘smartie tube’ bridge at Exhibition Centre station. The M8 motorway remains a barrier to destinations like the Mitchell Library and Anderston station.
First featured: Digest 107, Item 1.11.
Website links: Yorkhill to Anderston LN (Commonplace).
Deadline: June 2022.

1.10: Drumchapel Local Development Framework

Council: Glasgow City.
Subject: The latest framework consultation, following previous strategic ones for Glasgow North, ‘Inner East’, etc. Drumchapel is known as one of the ‘big four’ post-war council housing estates (along with Castlemilk, Easterhouse and Pollok). The Drumchapel Cycle Hub is based near the sports centre but there’s very little cycling infrastructure around the area. The map has made it past 25 comments.
First featured: Digest 102, Item 1.12.
Website links: Drumchapel Commonplace map, Drumchapel survey link and background.
Deadline: No obvious deadline.

1.11: Malls Mire survey

Organisation: Urban Roots.
Area: Woodland park between Toryglen Asda, Polmadie Recycling Centre in Glasgow and Rutherglen Glencairn Football Club in South Lanarkshire.
Subject: An evaluation about the newly created park and paths. The site wraps around a regenerated housing estate, linking former wasteground with the woodland and ponds. It includes trails, outdoor play equipment and a bike pump track. Also, 3m wide shared paths create a lit, mostly traffic-free route linking Prospecthill Circus west to Polmadie Rd and east to the corner of Toryglen Rd/Pinkerton Ave in Rutherglen. Tron Theatre will be running sensory walks in Malls Mire for five weeks starting in April. Walking Tall Tales will be for local families with children age five and under.
First featured: Digest 74, Item 3.4.
Website links: Malls Mire survey.
Deadline: No obvious deadline.

1.12: *ADDITION: Greenock to Battery Park SfP lane

Council: Inverclyde.
Subject: A Spaces for People temporary route between Greenock town centre and a coastal park (previously missed by your author – apologies). A recent council vote was 9:2 in favour of keeping the lanes for another six months, with a further review in September. Photos in the consultation survey show a mixture of on-road ‘soft’ segregation and painted lanes on footways and across side roads. While some of the junction and bus stop treatments may not be ideal, there seem to be decent protected sections too.
Website links: Greenock Town Centre to Battery Park – Community Engagement and Inverclyde Now article on council vote.
Deadline: No obvious deadline.

Section 2: Consultation Feedback

2.1: Howwood to Paisley, cycle lane removal (Johnstone, Renfrewshire)

Council: Renfrewshire.
Area: Beith Rd through Johnstone, between Paisley and Howwood.
Subject: The Paisley Gazette reports: “At a full meeting of Renfrewshire Council… elected members unanimously agreed to remove the temporary cycleway on Beith Road and examine alternative plans for active travel in the area.” A few councillors had been campaigning to have the route removed. A petition against the route had reached around 1,500 signatures. Spaces for People funding is due to stop at the end of the month. Elsewhere, protection on the SfP route on Ayr Rd/Fenwick Rd in East Renfrewshire may also be removed. The Cornwall St/Brouster Hill lanes in East Kilbride also had negative press (but the consultation hasn’t yet reported back). The Greenock to Battery Park SfP lane in Inverclyde is also under consultation. On a more positive note, in Renfrewshire work recently started on building the permanent Renfrew to Paisley cycle route.
First featured: Digest 103, Item 2.1.
Website links: Paisley Gazette article about Renfrewshire Council decision.

2.2: Secure On-Street Cycle Parking Pilot (Glasgow)

Council: Glasgow City.
Subject: Expansion of secure on-street cycle parking in the city. The council report says: “Cyclehoop successfully installed 61 units in May/June 2021, which are presently at 98% occupancy across the scheme.” Also: “there is a waiting list of 1,500 across Glasgow. This waiting list data has been utilised in association with requests for provision to direct the proposed locations.” The list of new locations is weighted towards more densely populated areas like Dennistoun, Langside and Partick. G41 gets the most units of any postcode with G42 not far behind. Installation is due soon: “phase 2 of the scheme is programmed for March 2022 when installations will commence. This will deliver seventy (70) units providing an additional 420 storage spaces across the scheme as a whole.” 
First featured: Digest 88, Infrastructure Update.
Website links: Secure On-Street Cycle Parking report and list of proposed locations by postcode (PDF).

2.3: Argyle St (West) and Cambridge St design review

Council: Glasgow City.
Subject: In December 2021, plans came out for the next phase of Avenues construction, including Cambridge St and the western part of Argyle St. The plans didn’t seem to improve on issues from the Sauchiehall St pilot. Nor did they meet the updated Cycling by Design standards. Both these points were put to councillors in a letter by GoBike’s convenor, Thomas. A new group had been mooted by GCC, called the Accessible Design Forum, who would review future Avenues designs. A recent BBC Scotland article highlighted issues faced by people with visual impairment on the Avenues section of Sauchiehall St. Following the piece on Reporting Scotland, GCC have responded to Cllr Christy Mearns that “two designs [Argyle St (West) and Cambridge St] have been put on hold and will be re-considered in the first ADF meeting… A date, time and venue will be confirmed shortly – likely to be towards the end of March / early April.”
First featured: Digest 101, Item 2.2.

2.4: Barclays, West St works update

Organisation: Barclays.
Area: South West City Way at Barclays site.
Subject: GoBike member Tor asked Barclays about the closed area at the north east tip of West St. Although building work is due to finish by the end of the month, it might not fully open until May. Apparently, this depends on the weather allowing further work to take place. Once it opens, there will be a new crossing at Kingston St with bike-only lights. People cycling north-south would then be able to stay on the eastern side of West St. Thus avoiding having to cross diagonally to/from the western side at Kingston St (and another crossing at Barclays site).
First featured: SWCW/Barclays works blog post.
Website links: Barclays replies to query on Twitter.