Consultation Digest (Local) Issue 78, 19 January 2021

We approach Burns Night with some news from Rabbie's home county, a few other shires and the city.

This Digest is within a week of Burns Night so it's fitting that we have some news from Ayrshire. A few consultations have come in from East Renfrewshire and South Lanarkshire. Also, a last chance to comment on plans for North Glasgow. So, is 2021 starting to pick up slightly? As Burns said: "Hope springs exulting on triumphant wing."

Since there have been a few breaks in the weather maybe there will be more chances to try some of Andy's three infrastructure routes around Glasgow.

There’s still time to sign the petition for segregated cycle lanes at the Kelvin Way-University Avenue junction (until 28 January).

This Digest includes links in the Contents page so you can jump straight to a topic if you want to.

Contents
(new consultations in bold)

Section 1: Current Consultations

1. Glasgow City Council – North Glasgow Strategic Development Framework (SDF), closes 29 January 2021
2. North Ayrshire Council – Ardrossan Connections Project, closes 3 February
3. South Lanarkshire Council – Active travel online consultations, all close 8 February
4. East Refrewshire Council – Spaces for People A77 'Bike and Roll' corridor

Section 2: Forthcoming Consultations

1. UPDATE: Glasgow City Council – (Y)our Districts Online Ideas Workshops – 'Learning Quarter'

Section 3: Consultation Feedback

1. East Ayrshire Council – NCN Route 73, Crosshouse Bridge infill, Cycle Diversion

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

1.1: Glasgow City Council – North Glasgow Strategic Development Framework (SDF),
(closes 29 January 2021)

It's the last few weeks of this consultation, which first featured in Digest 74, Item 1.5 with the GoBike response written by Brenda. It covers a large area north of the M8 to Possil and from Maryhill Rd to Springburn. It's been a while in the making, so much so that the Sighthill Bridge might be completed before the final report is published. However, it is due to cover the next few decades. See the North Glasgow SDF consultation on GCC's website before 29 January.

1.2: North Ayrshire Council – Ardrossan Connections Project (closes 3 February)

GoBike's monthly rides would occasionally make it to the Ayrshire coast and Ardrossan has a choice of train stations for the trip back (or a ferry to Arran). Sustrans are running a Commonplace consultation about the town for North Ayrshire Council and Ardrossan Community Development Trust (as spotted by our member Steph).

Ardrossan has coastal off-road paths running past the town – NCN73, from neighbouring Saltcoats, goes to the harbour. NCN753 heads north to the outskirts of West Kilbride. This project seems to focus on the on-road bit between them at the town centre. If you've visited or know the area, see the Ardrossan Connections Commonplace map. You've only got a few weeks until 3 February.

1.3: South Lanarkshire Council – Active travel online consultations (all close 8 February)

GoBike member Marc alerted us to a new round of active travel consultations in South Lanarkshire. Previous ones included East Kilbride, which had its first section of segregated cycleway laid last year. The next lot of active travel studies are being run by Aecom – these are for:

• Blantyre, Bothwell & Uddingston;
• Larkhall;
• Strathaven & Stonehouse (and surrounding villages).

Strathaven boasts a few cycling clubs and some old railway lines, which could still be used for cycle paths. Stonehouse and Larkhall are linked by on-road sections of NCN74. Blantyre is currently on NCN74 but it's due to re-route through Strathclyde Park, once a new link is built from the Raith Interchange to Laighlands Rd, Bothwell. Uddingston is where NCN routes 74 and 75 meet. It's separated from Glasgow by part of North Lanarkshire, where Aecom are also doing an active travel audit. If you've ever wanted a cycleway on the Lanarkshire side, to link to the city's segregated section past the Dog's Trust, this is a great opportunity to mention it! Especially since GCC are building a new 2-way cycleway on London Rd past Mount Vernon station.

Again, these consultations take the form of a survey and Placecheck map for each area. However, after the issues with petrolheads swamping the comments of the previous Hamilton map, the format has changed slightly. This time, you have to complete the survey before you access the map. See SLC's active travel consultations page by 8 February.

1.4: East Refrewshire Council – Spaces for People A77 'Bike and Roll' corridor

Since the last Digest there's been a lot of attention on the Spaces for People measures on Fenwick Rd/A77 in Giffnock (first mentioned in a blog post about East Ren last summer). Or rather, there's been noise about what they're not going to be. A local business latched onto a draft plan on the council's website and posted about the council removing car parking. Many angry posts about car parking and shops ensued on Facebook and in the consultation. In the midst of all this, you may have seen that GoBike member Iona updated one of our Evidence pages – Bike Lanes are Great for Business.

ERC quickly took down the draft document and added a statement to the consultation that it had been there in error and there were no current plans for Giffnock High St. A local Tory MSP later held an online event about the measures on 18 January, which some GoBikers took part in.

What is already in place on Fenwick Rd is 'soft' segregation on the outside lanes of a section of the dual carriageway between Berryhill Road and Church Road. It started off as cones before 'wands' were fixed down to replace them (upper photo in Twitter post, below). Further on, the current A77 cycle lanes were made mandatory and had cones added. However, some of the cones have been re-arranged by local drivers (lower photos in Twitter post, below)…

So, it seems we will hear more from East Ren on the age old debate about safe cycle lanes versus convenient car parking. If you know the area and want to comment on both these measures on the A77, see ERC Spaces for People surveys. The map is closed but the survey pages don't seem to list a closing date, so this one could go on for a while.

Section 2: Forthcoming Consultations

2.1: Glasgow City Council – (Y)our Districts Online Ideas Workshops – 'Learning Quarter'

UPDATE: Online workshops were due to take place for the next city centre 'Districts' in GCC's ongoing series. Unfortunately, the Merchant City date has already passed. However, the planned 'Learning Quarter' workshops have been postponed with a new date to follow. These events should be along similar lines to previous Cowcaddens and Townhead workshops covered in Digest 74. Hopefully we'll have an update in the next Digest at the start of February.

Section 3: Consultation Feedback

3.1: East Ayrshire Council – NCN Route 73, Crosshouse Bridge infill, Cycle Diversion

This issue was raised by our ride leader Andy, who's been following up on a programme of works on former railway bridges and viaducts. The Crosshouse Bridge near Knockentiber is on NCN73 between Kilmarnock and Irvine (one of Burns' old stomping grounds). Diversion routes will be signposted in both directions for drivers but not for cyclists. GoBike have sent a letter by Tricia to East Ayrshire Council to ask for a signed cycle diversion in both directions.

As Burns wrote in 'To A Mouse (On Turning Her Up In Her Nest With The Plough)':
“The best-laid schemes o’ mice an’ men / Gang aft agley.”