Consultation Digest (Local) Issue 151, 25 January 2024

“The best laid schemes…

…o’ Mice an’ Men, Gang aft agley.” Happy Burns Night! Rabbie lived in Dumfries for a while and this first issue of 2024 includes events on Galloway and Ayrshire's hopes to become a new national park (before the bid goes to the Scottish Parliament). Also, there are updates on two City Deal plans for “relief roads” with question marks about active travel links around them.

In the Southside, there's a day of workshops in Govanhill. A few pre-consultations for development plans close soon, followed by the Development Frameworks for Pollok and Easterhouse. Nextbike have a survey about new hire station locations. Traffic Orders have started to re-appear, including ones for Avenues Plus.

Obviously, our plans for the new version of the Digest have “gang agley” (gone awry)…

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

1.1: Local Development Plan 3 Evidence and Data Gathering (EDC)

Council: East Dunbartonshire.
Subject: EDC is consulting about an Evidence Report for LDP3. They need “the views of residents, businesses, groups and organisations. The report will focus on the broad concepts that will shape the plan and not, at this stage, the merits of individual sites. Key issues include… Sustainable transport.”Public drop-in sessions have already started in various locations – these run between late November and mid-January.
Website links: LDP3 Evidence Report consultation webpage and LDP3 online survey.
Deadline: 31 January 2024 (5pm).

1.2: My Neighbourhood, My City – Place Standard Survey

Council: Glasgow City.
Subject: Survey for the new City Development Plan (Glasgow’s land-use plan), which will decide where new homes, schools, businesses and open spaces should be located. The Place Standard tool gathers rates different factors about a neighbourhood to identify issues. Responses will inform the Evidence Report for the plan.
Website links: MNMC Place Standard survey (and City Development Plan 2 web hub).
Deadline: 1 February 2024.

1.3: Future of Travel on North Cathcart Road

Organisation: South Seeds (with Planning Aid Scotland).
Subject: Workshop events in Govanhill about how to improve walking, wheeling and public transport at the northern end of Cathcart Rd (A728). It's a mostly 4-lane road running from the Five Ways junction (Brazen Head) over the M74 to Govanhill. Cycling isn't explicitly mentioned (despite the bike icon on the flyer) so maybe a good idea to speak up for protected cycle lanes.
Events – Thursday 1 February:
1pm – 2.30pm at Larkfield Centre,
6.30pm – 8pm at Govanhill Neighbourhood Centre.
Website links: Workshop sign-up link (you can also just turn up on the day).
Deadline: Probably only open to submissions on the day – 1 February.

1.4: Galloway National Park – drop-in sessions

Organisation: Galloway National Park Association (charity).
Subject: Proposal for a national park in Galloway (which would include parts of South and East Ayrshire in its boundaries). Previous consultation took place in 2018 so these sessions are updates about the plans ahead of a submission to the Scottish Government. Not specific to cycling but would affect the area and have potential to create cycle routes.
Drop-in events:
30 January (2–6pm) – Johnston Centre, Kirkcudbright;
31 January (2–7pm) – County Building, Wigtown;
1 February (2–7pm) – Community Centre, Dalmellington;
2 February (2–7pm) – Millennium Centre, Stranraer.
Website links: Further information on the GNPA website (including info on climate change, which mentions cycling).
Deadline: Probably only open to submissions from 30 January to 2 February.

1.5: Greater Easterhouse Strategic Development Framework

Council: Glasgow City.
Subject: “The SDF for Greater Easterhouse identifies key issues and opportunities in the area, and sets the vision and framework for future development in line with the spatial policies of the City Development Plan and the National Planning Framework 4.”
Website links: Greater Easterhouse SDF page and Greater Easterhouse SDF survey.
Deadline: 5 February 2024.

1.6: Greater Pollok Local Development Framework

Council: Glasgow City.
Subject: “The Vision for Greater Pollok includes… movement and travel infrastructure, town centres, local shopping, facilities, housing, and economic development areas… green spaces and initiatives which tackle climate change. Following extensive community engagement, which ended in September 2022, the Draft Greater Pollok LDF document is now complete.”
Website links: Greater Pollok LDF page and Greater Pollok LDF survey.
Deadline: 5 February 2024.

1.7: Nextbike – new station survey

Organisation: Nextbike by TIER.
Subject: New bike hire stations are being planned and Nextbike has a survey for users of their mobile app. The survey link is in a news item on the app (if you don't have it on your phone, you can download from the Nextbike website). It has some suggested locations to choose from (Penilee, Eastfield, Barlanark, Bishopbriggs, Fernhill or Clydebank). You can also suggest your own location using a grid square reference from What3Words.
Website links: Nextbike survey tweet.
Deadline: No obvious deadline.

Section 2: Consultation Feedback

2.1: Dunglass terminal redevelopment, Bowling

Subject: Further planning approval granted on a long-running project to redevelop the former Esso/ExxonMobil oil terminal at Bowling and create a new road into Dumbarton. This may change part of NCN Route 7, which runs parallel between the A82 (Great Western Rd) and railway. NCN7 crosses the A814 (Dumbarton Rd) near the Dunglass roundabout. However, it's not clear if NCN7 would be diverted through the new business park to a longer riverside path around the central and western edges of the site. On the plus side, the City Deal-funded project should create new crossings on the A814 and A82. The A82 has been affected by “unstable verges” near the roundabout in the recent past.
Website links: Article and planning application.

2.2: Westerhill Development Road – route chosen

Subject: Another City Deal project, this time north of Glasgow inside the Westerhill Regeneration Area (which had a consultation in 2023). East Dunbartonshire Council have chosen a route for the new road north of Bishopbriggs (previously referred to as Phase 5 of the Bishopbriggs Relief Road). It extends Westerhill Road from the former Aviva offices past Low Moss prison to the A803 Kirkintilloch Road. It's due to include pedestrian and cycling paths – possibly extending the Westerhill Way shared path. Design work will continue into 2025 so construction is still some way off.
Website links: EDC article.

Section 3: Proposed Traffic Regulation Orders

3.1: East Dunbartonshire TROs

Website links: East Dunbartonshire TROs. Orders for disabled parking spaces and some experimental School Streets.

3.2: Glasgow City TROs & Traffic Calming

Website links: Glasgow City Proposed TROs and Glasgow City Proposed Traffic Calming Schemes. Orders for recent consultations including two Avenues Plus projects – South Portland St and Cowcaddens Rd.

“But Och! I backward cast my e’e,
On prospects drear!
An’ forward tho’ I canna see,
I guess an’ fear!”