Return of the City.
After a few issues led by other areas, Glasgow strikes back in this edition. A report on the City Network Delivery Plan offers new hope. Also, the former city ‘Cycling Village’ lands with new proposals (phase map shown, above – sadly the event for it has just passed). Elsewhere in the West End, there’s a Glasgow Uni event about its campus coming soon (see below).
Also, there are projects from South Lanarkshire, East Dunbartonshire and Renfrewshire plus reports from Loch Lomond & Trossachs National Park and East Renfrewshire.
Forthcoming events
Uni of Glasgow Campus Development – Community Engagement Event:
Tuesday, 9 May 2023, 17:30 – 20:00.
Clarice Pears Building, 90 Byres Road, Glasgow G12 8TB.
Register via Eventbrite.
Contents
(new consultations in bold)
1: Current Consultations
- Westerhill Regeneration Area Framework Masterplan
- Clydesdale Active Travel studies
- Connecting Yorkhill and Kelvingrove
- Improving Southholm Roundabout (Erskine)
- North Woodside Road consultation
- East Renfrewshire Third Local Development Plan
- East Kilbride Town Centre Active Travel Network – Phase 1.4
- North Ayrshire Local Development Plan 3
- North Lanarkshire Council – Green and open space survey
- Loch Lomond & the Trossachs National Park Partnership Plan
- Devon Street Urban Park
2: Consultation Feedback
- City Network – Delivery Plan (Phase 1)
- Causeyside Street Regeneration – dropped
- City Centre District Regeneration Frameworks (DRFs) approved by Council
- Glasgow Uni Campus newsletter – April 2023
3: Proposed Traffic Regulation Orders
Section 1: Current Consultations
(in date order for responses)
1.1: Westerhill Regeneration Area Framework Masterplan
Council: East Dunbartonshire.
Area: Regeneration area, north-east of Westerhill Rd, Bishopbriggs (around Low Moss prison).
Subject: First public consultation on plans for Westerhill. The good news is plans already include walking and cycling paths. The existing Wester Way off-road path, parallel to Westerhill Rd, currently stops near the former Aviva offices. It seems to link to paths in the proposed plan but it’s not clear what the junctions or path widths would be like.
Website links: Westerhill Framework Masterplan.
Deadline: 16 May 2023.
1.2: Clydesdale Active Travel studies
Council: South Lanarkshire.
Area: Clydesdale/Clyde Valley split into three (quite arbitrary) regions: North-west (Lesmahagow/Douglas), North-east (Carstairs/Biggar) and South (Abington/Leadhills). They miss out Carluke and Lanark, as these towns already have Active Travel studies.
Subject: Consultation on draft Active Travel Studies for each of the three areas (by Aecom). The M74/NCN74 corridor runs through the north-east and south areas but not all villages have paths to it. Recent active travel projects by the council in Clydesdale include Carstairs and Leadhills. Also, Leadhills is part of a joint active travel project to connect it to Wanlockhead, Dumfries & Galloway. Further links between routes in South Lanarkshire, D&G and Borders are part of the Clydesdale Way project.
Website links: Clydesdale Active Travel studies webpage.
Featured: Digest 129, Item 1.1.
Deadline: 19 May 2023.
1.3: Connecting Yorkhill and Kelvingrove
Council: Glasgow City.
Area: Phase 1 – Yorkhill North; Phase 2 – Yorkhill South; Phase 3 – Kelvingrove; Phase 4 – Corunna St & Minerva St.
Subject: Formerly ‘Yorkhill and Kelvingrove Cycling Village’ – still funded by Spaces for Everyone. Phase 1 proposals show a bi-directional cycletrack from Kelvin Way on Radnor St, Haugh Rd, Gilbert St and Sandyford St. The Gilbert/Sandyford corner links to a path to Centurion Way, the 2-way lanes on Ferry Rd (separate City Deal project) and the Expressway underpass to NCN7. Yorkhill St links south to Kelvinhaugh St and north to Old Dumbarton Rd (also City Deal). There are public realm improvements, new crossings and a new cycle hire station on Kelvinhaugh St. Most of this looks promising although it’s a 2-way cycletrack so could be tricky to join or leave (especially at diagonal crossing from Radnor St to Haugh Rd). It passes opposite Bike for Good and Dockyard Social (maybe partly to avoid loading vans). Also, expect issues with car parking (used by visitors to the SEC, SWG3 and Finnieston).
Featured: Digest 107, 1.11.
Website links: Connecting Yorkhill & Kelvingrove storymap.
Deadline: 21 May 2023.
1.4: Improving Southholm Roundabout (Erskine)
Council: Renfrewshire.
Area: Old Greenock Rd/A726 junction south of Erskine.
Subject: Revisiting one of the junctions from the Erskine junction safety consultation. Results were in favour of action to improve road safety. Southholm Roundabout is set amongst trees on the edge of town but hemmed in on the south-west by a low stone wall. There may be enough space for a proper Dutch-style roundabout (as speed limit is changing to 30mph). These tend to be single-lane with a cycle lane in a separate outer ring (crossings on each arm leave a gap for cars to stop). However, neither of the two options offers that. One proposal is for a single lane roundabout but it expands the centre instead of pulling the kerblines in. Both options have shared pavements too. Meanwhile, neighbouring East Renfrewshire’s Dutch-style roundabout at Malletsheugh on A77 is under construction. However, at least the options don’t follow comments on local councillors Facebook page calling for more lanes.
Featured: Digest 125, 1.2.
Website links: Improving Southholm Roundabout: Concept Designs.
Deadline: 28 May 2023.
1.5: North Woodside Road Consultation
Council: Glasgow City.
Subject: This project was started by Websters Theatre in 2020, as part of GCC’s “Animating Spaces” initiative. Now part of Connecting Woodside, it’s back for further consultation. It’s about the stopped up end of North Woodside Rd at Great Western Rd outside the theatre (formerly Lansdowne Church). Active travel is mentioned, as well as a performance space, but there don’t seem to be any formal plans yet. Instead, there’s a survey and postcard.
Featured: Digest 75, Item 1.1.
Website links: N Woodside Rd survey and postcard.
Deadline: 29 May 2023.
1.6: East Renfrewshire Third Local Development Plan
Council: East Renfrewshire.
Subject: ERC are consulting about how best to engage people ahead of the new Local Development documents coming out. “Stage 1: Pre-Engagement Surveys. The first stage is finding out how communities and other stakeholders want to engage on LDP3 preparation and receive updates.”
Website links: East Renfrewshire Third Local Development Plan Commonplace website.
Deadline: 31 May 2023.
1.7: East Kilbride Town Centre Active Travel Network – Phase 1.4
Council: South Lanarkshire.
Area: West Mains Road at its eastern end, from Creighton Grove to the Priestknowe (Three Bears) roundabout.
Subject: Section of W Mains Rd past housing to link to bike paths on Churchill Ave. There are two options to continue east of the existing 1-way cycletracks (from zebra crossing). Option 1 has a short 2-way cycletrack then shared path, with green space made into a ‘pocket park’ (keeping most parking bays). Option 2 is mostly 2-way cycletrack, except for short breaks at disabled parking bays, then shared path round corner at roundabout. The latter would remove most of the current car parking spaces and convert the grass area into a residents car park. While the council have to keep residents on-side, it’s a bit of a Hobson’s choice between the two options. Also, SLC haven’t addressed links from Creighton Grove up to Hunter Community Health Centre and Andrew St, which need resurfacing/re-signed.
Featured: Digest 110, 2.3.
Website links: East Kilbride Town Centre Active Travel Network – Phase 1.4 webpage.
Deadline: 2 June 2023.
1.8: North Ayrshire Local Development Plan 3
Council: North Ayrshire.
Subject: First consultation stage for the next Local Development Plan by North Ayrshire. It may be one of the first in Scotland under the new National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4 came into force in February 2023). As a result, it should have more emphasis on the environment, including active travel. Getting cycling routes/networks, developer obligations, etc. mentioned in the LDP makes them more likely to be delivered. Also, if developers proposals miss out or go against the LDP, these give people grounds to object and have plans altered or conditions added.
Website links: North Ayrshire LDP3 consultation website.
Deadline: June 28 2023.
1.9: North Lanarkshire Council – Green and open space survey
Council: North Lanarkshire.
Subject: Survey and audit data to feed into an Open Space Strategy and other policies. NLC avoid on-street protected cycle lanes, so anything affecting off-street paths could have a big impact on cycling in the county. Areas like the Seven Lochs Wetland Park have cross-border active travel routes (Hogganfield Loch to Drumpellier Country Park, Coatbridge). NL’s other country parks, Palacerigg (see above) and especially Strathclyde Park, are also havens for active travel. The latter has added and upgraded paths near Bellshill with more of NCN74 due to be re-routed through the park. The council ignored a GoBike suggestion for links between Strathclyde Park, Duchess Park, Ravenscraig and the existing Greenlink route (as part of redevelopment of Airbles Rd). There’s potential for similar links around some of North Lanarkshire’s dozen nature reserves. The consultation has a general survey and one about specific places that are important to visitors or residents.
Website links: Green and open space surveys.
Deadline: 10 July 2023.
1.10: Loch Lomond & the Trossachs National Park Partnership Plan
Organisation: Loch Lomond & the Trossachs National Park.
Area: The park ranges from Loch Eck and Loch Goil in the west to Loch Earn and Callander in the east. Also, from Killin and Crianlarich in the north to Balloch in the south (but it misses out Helensburgh and Gare Loch).
Subject: A wide-ranging five year plan for the park. It includes a section on ‘Low Carbon Travel for Everyone’. Cycle routes and active travel are mentioned briefly but most of the section is about buses. That may make sense, considering the size of the park, but it’s still a bit disappointing. There’s already a cycle route from Balloch up the west side of Loch Lomond (and there were plans for an active travel route to Inverarnan as part of A82 works). Active travel paths were extended along the River Goil in 2021 and there seems to be plenty of scope for more.
Website links: Loch Lomond & the Trossachs National Park Commonplace site.
Deadline: 19 July 2023.
1.11: Devon Street Urban Park
Organisation: Glasgow Urban Sports (GUS).
Area: Southside between Eglinton St and Pollokshaws Rd.
Subject: Formerly GUS M74, now revised and renamed… “The Devon Street Urban Park project is a proposal from Glasgow Urban Sports (GUS), a community led organisation, that aims to transform an unused area of land under the canopy of the M74 motorway, on the southside of Glasgow, to create a new public urban park and community leisure space.” While the project still involves building a skatepark it seems to have broadened out a bit to gain more community support. There are new partner organisations on board and a new survey to fill in.
Featured: Digest 92, Item 1.14.
Website links: Devon St survey, new GUS website.
Deadline: No obvious deadline.
Section 2: Consultation Feedback
2.1: City Network – Delivery Plan (Phase 1)
Subject: An important report from the council about how the City Network will be delivered. The main headline is the phasing and distances planned.
Phase 0 – existing projects: East City Way, Connecting Battlefield, Connecting Woodside, Connecting Yorkhill & Kelvingrove, City Deal: Byres Rd/Sighthill and Flourishing Molendinar.
Phase 1 – City Network Advanced Delivery Areas in the North (24km), South (33km) and Greater Govan (20km). There are no specific timescales except that the network will be done in ten years (or 2030 in some docs).
“GCC are committed to delivering the City Network in partnership with other sustainable transport modes, recognising that there will be occasions where conflicts arise and decisions have to be made with regards specific priorities on key links.” Perhaps including places like Paisley Road West? Further phases will appear in future Digests.
Website links: City Network – Delivery Plan report.
2.2: Causeyside Street Regeneration – dropped
Subject: Plans for a 2-way cycletrack on Causeyside St, Paisley have been dropped by Renfrewshire Council. Businesses in the town centre had reacted negatively to the redevelopment, despite the fact it would’ve kept current car parking spaces. Councillor Kenny MacLaren, said he hadn’t heard “one person speak positively about it”. This Digest has been positive about the lanes linking between Gilmour St station and NCN7 at Canal St. It’s unfortunate this happened while GoBike has been restructuring. We’d ask any members in Renfrewshire who are disappointed by this decision to get involved in our new structure and at our AGM when it’s announced. It’s important to have people ‘on the ground’ to counter campaigns like the petition against the Causeyside St Regeneration.
Featured: Digest 132, Item 2.1
Website links: Cycle lane plans dropped by council.
2.3: City Centre District Regeneration Frameworks (DRFs) approved by Council
Area: Cowcaddens, the ‘Learning Quarter’ (around Cathedral St), the Merchant City and Townhead.
Subject: A further four District Regeneration Frameworks (DRFs) are approved by Glasgow City Council.“These four DRFs will now become material planning consideration for the city centre. Five [previous] DRFs (the Blythswood, Broomielaw, Central, Sauchiehall/Garnethill and St Enoch districts) have already been approved and are currently being delivered.”
Featured: Digest 128, 1.4.
Website links: Four City Centre DRFs approved by Council.
2.4: Glasgow Uni Campus newsletter – April 2023
Subject: Update about works at the new uni campus. This time the focus is the Adam Smith Business School and a community event to update on progress (9 May, see above). Nearby, the redevelopment of Byres Road is making progress up the hill near Torness St.
Website links: Glasgow Uni Campus newsletter – April 2023.
Section 3: Proposed Traffic Regulation Orders
3.1: East Dunbartonshire TROs
Areas: Bearsden, Bishopbriggs, Kirkintilloch, Lenzie, Lennoxtown, Milngavie, Milton of Campsie, Torrance, Twechar and Waterside.
Subject: Orders about disabled parking spaces.
Website links: East Dunbartonshire TROs.
3.2: Glasgow City Traffic Calming
Subject: One proposal for the Gaelic School on Berkeley St (deadline: 12 May).
Website links: Glasgow City Proposed Traffic Calming Schemes.
3.3: North Lanarkshire TROs
Areas: Towns and villages throughout the county.
Subject: Part-time 20 miles per hour speed restrictions –many around schools.
NLC have a consultation about parking in Cumbernauld village focussed on locals (asks for name/postcode – ends 22 May). Also, one on Planning and Noise Supplementary Guidance (ends 17 May).
Website links: North Lanarkshire Live Consultations.