Mar 2, 2023 5 min read districts

Consultation Digest (Local) Issue 130, 2 March 2023

All or nothing?

After the recent wave of consultations things have calmed down a bit. There’s a new consultation for Castle Semple Country Park in Renfrewshire. Also, something on the horizon for a roundabout junction in Pollok.

It’s the last call for Glasgow’s District consultations and one in Lanarkshire. The Southside Liveable Neighbourhoods consultations have finished but there’s a few more weeks for the north-west and north-east LNs.

Forthcoming consultations

Barrhead Road/Peat Road/Brockburn Road/Braidcraft Road roundabout junction

This busy, car dominated junction is north-west of Silverburn shopping centre. Initial plans were shared by a Greater Pollok councillor as mobile phone screenshots on Facebook. They’re a bit hard to see but there are no obvious active travel links. She suggests there could be a consultation in early March (or April) but no sign so far.

1: Current Consultations
(in date order for responses)

1.1: North East Districts: Townhead, Cowcaddens, Learning Quarter and Merchant City DRF

Council: Glasgow City.
Subject: District Regeneration Frameworks for four areas in the north-east of the city centre. These were developed by teams of European and local consultants after previous consultation in late 2020. Each document has a comprehensive plan for its area (50+ pages). These include some fairly radical changes, especially around the M8. Also, there is a refreshing focus on opening up active travel routes through current barriers (improving permeability). However, these may be challenging to deliver. So, a show of support in the consultation should help make the case stronger.
Website links: North-East Districts survey, North-East Districts Combined Regeneration Handbook, Cowcaddens Regeneration Handbook, ‘Learning Quarter’ Regeneration Handbook, Merchant City Regeneration Handbook, Townhead Regeneration Handbook.
Deadline: 3 March 2023.

1.2: NCN74 Uddingston to Bothwell realignment

Council: South Lanarkshire.
Subject: A long-awaited consultation about plans to divert a section of NCN74 at Strathclyde Park. The current route loops up the (steep) Furlongs, onto Bothwell Rd, up alongside the East Kilbride Expressway to Glasgow Rd, down Station Rd in Blantyre to the pedestrian bridge and up to Station Rd in Bothwell. These proposals would change this to a much more direct route from the Raith Interchange, up the steep, pot-holed Langside Rd and across the busy Hamilton Rd on the way to Station Rd. There’s a potential alternative to SLC’s plans (slightly longer but less steep/busy) by turning right onto Laighlands Rd/Bothwellpark Rd then across to Olifard Ave/Appledore Cres. Also, there’s the question of conflict with pedestrians past Strathclyde Park loch. Elsewhere, the survey has two options to transform the approach to Uddingston train station and some other welcome junction improvements.
Website links: Uddingston to Bothwell survey.
Deadline: 6 March 2023.

1.3: Liveable Neighbourhoods – Yoker to Whiteinch

Council: Glasgow City.
Areas: Yoker, Scotstoun, Jordanhill and Whiteinch.
Subject: A Liveable Neighbourhoods area in the north-west of the city. These areas featured in a recent cycling video by John Munro of Birmingham University. Within it, he highlighted the gap in cycling provision between the end of the old railway path at South St and the busy Thornwood Roundabout on Dumbarton Rd. Meanwhile, the former Jordanhill Training College site is one of the bigger new housing developments in the wider area. The MyGLN website seems to have been set up for this Liveable Neighbourhood and Royston to Hogganfield. It’s run by the companies Mott MacDonald, Urban Movement and New Practice. The latter recently paid tribute to Emma Newman on Twitter.
Website links: Yoker to Whiteinch LN consultation page.
Deadline: 19 March 2023.

1.4: Liveable Neighbourhoods – Royston to Hogganfield

Council: Glasgow City.
Areas: Royston, Sighthill, Germiston, Blackhill and Hogganfield.
Subject: Neighbourhoods in the north-east of the city between the M8 and the railway. Furthest west is Sighthill, which is nearing completion after a total rebuilt in the last few years. East of Springburn Road are Royston and Germiston and their main street, Royston Rd. It hasn’t got any cycling infrastructure on the flat but was the subject of a project by Rosemount Development Trust in 2021. Where Royston Rd climbs up to Blackhill there’s the Spaces for People cycle lanes. Another project, Flourishing Molendinar, have big plans for Blackhill, Cumbernauld Rd (by Hogganfield Park) and the bridge to Smithycroft/Riddrie. Hogganfield Loch is part of the Seven Lochs Wetland Park (PDF map). So, better links to the rest of Glasgow would have wider benefits for people going to/from North Lanarkshire.
Website links: Royston to Hogganfield LN consultation page.
Deadline: 19 March 2023.

1.5: Castle Semple Country Park Vision

Council: Renfrewshire.
Area: Castle Semple Country Park, Lochwinnoch.
Subject: “Local residents and businesses are being invited to share their views on the tourism potential of Castle Semple Country Park in Lochwinnoch.” Active travel and a possible cycle hub are included in the survey questions. NCN7 runs past the loch on a former railway line, linking to Kilburnie, Johnstone and Paisley. However, active travel access between the park and other places, like Howwood, can be a bit patchy. The ‘virtual consultation event’ is similar to a previous one for Make Your Way.
Website links: Castle Semple virtual consultation.
Deadline: 26 March 2023.

2: Consultation Feedback

2.1: Accessible and Inclusive Design Forum – committee report

Council: Glasgow City.
Subject: Originally called the Accessible Design Forum, this group was set up in the wake of concerns about the new Sauchiehall Avenue. It’s meant to be a platform for disability and active travel organisations to discuss upcoming plans. A report to GCC’s City Policy committee summarises its first few meetings and next steps. One of the key areas under discussion are so-called ‘floating bus stops’. These avoid conflict between buses and people cycling by putting segregated cycle lanes behind bus stops. Pedestrians cross to the bus stop island by a short mini-zebra. However, groups for visually impaired people say the use of uncontrolled crossings makes bus stops inaccessible for blind people. There are already floating bus stops on the South City Way and Garscube Rd with more due to follow in future projects. The same committee also heard updates on George Square/Avenues and the Clyde Metro.
Website links: AIDF report for City Policy committee.

3: Proposed Traffic Regulation Orders

3.1: East Dunbartonshire TROs

Areas: Bearsden, Bishopbriggs and Kirkintilloch.
Subject: Orders about parking restrictions, electric charging and speed limits.
Website links:East Dunbartonshire TROs.

3.2: Glasgow City Traffic Calming/TROs

Areas: City-wide.
Subject:TROs: Raeberry St stopping up order is out for consultation until 24 March 2023.
Traffic calming: Three current schemes for Greenfield Avenue/Inveresk St, Waulkglen Road and Boghall Road.
Website links:Glasgow City Proposed TROs, Glasgow City Proposed Traffic Calming Schemes.