Out of the rubble…
As destruction dominates the news abroad and in parts of the UK, there’s little solace to be found. However, this issue has a few consultations with plans for new construction following demolitions in North Glasgow and North Ayrshire. Also, renewal for a town centre in South Lanarkshire. In Glasgow, there are plans for city centre junctions and a ‘conversation’ event in the Southside. Elsewhere, there’s a one-way system proposed in Renfrewshire.
Forthcoming consultations
Community Conversation on Travel in Govanhill, Glasgow
A community event for “anyone who lives in Govanhill who has any experience or views about travel. This can be any mode e.g. car, public transport, walking, cycling, wheeling.” It will look into current experiences, barriers and future solutions for sustainable travel. Run by the GALLANT partnership between Glasgow City Council and Glasgow University.
Event: 26 October 2023 from 6.30pm to 8.30pm at Govanhill Neighbourhood Centre, 6 Daisy Street, Govanhill, Glasgow G42 8JL.
Contents
(new consultations in bold)
1: Current Consultations
- Connecting Woodside – Phase 2 (St George’s Road)
- Ayrshire Central, Irvine – Final plans
- Gallowhill, Paisley – proposed one-way system
- North East Active Travel Routes (NEATR) UPDATED
- East Kilbride town centre: A new vision
- Waiting to Happen (junctions consultation)
2: Consultation Feedback
3: Proposed Traffic Regulation Orders
Section 1: Current Consultations
(in date order for responses)
1.1: Connecting Woodside – Phase 2 (St George’s Road)
Council: Glasgow City.
Subject: Updated plans for St George’s Road, between Charing Cross and N Woodside Rd. The 2-way protected cycleway will connect from the existing Avenue on Sauchiehall St and eventually link into existing infra next to Garscube Rd. There are some changes to junctions and new crossings along the route. The plans include the more direct crossing option at Phoenix Rd/Maryhill Rd. Also, there’s a rare sighting of a continuous pavement; at a side access road (with barrier) next to Woodside Library. Nearby is a novel cycle crossing going diagonally across a pedestrian crossing (with bike light phase apparently). Two side roads were already going to be restricted: Clarendon Place will be stopped up (opened at other end) and Glenfarg St will be filtered. Lastly, a cycle maintenance station has been added to the plans between Grant St and W Princes St (handy for the M8 off-ramp!).
Featured: Digest 121 (1.13).
Website links: St George’s Rd ‘Storymap’ (link fixed now), Connecting Woodside webpage (PDF drawings under St George’s Rd heading) and St George’s Rd survey.
Deadline: 20 October 2023.
1.2: Ayrshire Central, Irvine – Final plans
Council: North Ayrshire.
Subject: Final plans for this housing development on the site of former residencies at Ayrshire Central Hospital in Irvine. Updated maps include details of walking and cycling routes (the latter marked in pink on page 5). Both are existing off-road paths – while the north-eastern one is retained, the western one makes way for bungalows and is pushed onto the footway. These include the homes next to the existing gatehouses, which are a better match for the listed buildings than you see on many developments. Most of the document is about the style and layout of houses, many for wheelchair users on the local housing list.
Consultation event: Tuesday 24 October 2023 from 4pm – 6pm at Castlepark Community Centre, 4 Castlepark Circle, Irvine, KA12 9LQ.
Featured: Digest 136, 1.3.
Website links: Ayrshire Central, Irvine Final Plans Consultation.
Deadline: 5 November 2023 (by email to developmentandstrategy@north-ayrshire.gov.uk or by phone).
1.3: Gallowhill, Paisley – proposed one-way system
Council: Renfrewshire.
Area: Gallowhill, Paisley (not to be confused with Garrowhill in the East End of Glasgow).
Subject: Proposed one-way system for a neighbourhood in north-east Paisley. The clockwise loop goes on Montgomery Road/Netherhill Cottages around Gallowhill Primary School. Apparently, it’s to help with bus links (McGills reinstating their 64 route). Presumably, this is due to reduced carriageway width from on-street car parking. Renfrewshire Council also mention road safety benefits and there may be some for cycling. The filtered paths at the northern end of Netherhill Rd help permeability for people cycling, so they’re not disadvantaged. It remains to be seen how local drivers react to the plans and whether the council will implement them (unlike their u-turn on Causeyside St).
Website links: Gallowhill one-way proposals.
Deadline: 10 November 2023 (via email: ei@renfrewshire.gov.uk, phone or in writing).
1.4: North East Active Travel Routes (NEATR) UPDATED
Council: Glasgow City.
Subject: Updated plans for protected cycle lanes using width on Wallacewell Rd, Northgate Rd, Broomfield Rd, Balornock Rd and Red Road. Wallacewell Rd keeps its 1-way ‘soft segregated’ lanes with more on Northgate Rd; 2-way lanes for Broomfield Rd and Red Rd; Balornock Rd gets both (by Springburn Park). Kerbs go in at junctions and some interesting crossings (including to a school). The current roundabout at Northgate Rd becomes a ‘cyclops’-style junction with traffic lights (like those on South City Way/A77 Ayr Rd). This mix of ‘soft segregated’ lanes and kerbed junctions/crossings could be a model for the City Network. However, the black & white ‘armadillos’/‘zebras’ need to be continuous to avoid issues with car parking. Construction is expected to start in early 2024. Next steps include links with a proposed Eastern Springburn active travel route south of Petershill Dr (near the former Red Road flats) and Royston Rd cycle lanes.
Featured: Digest 15, 1.1.
Website links: NEATR Storymap.
Deadline: No obvious deadline (previous consultation took place in 2018 so this new process may just be for info).
1.5: East Kilbride town centre: A new vision
Council: South Lanarkshire.
Subject: A familiar story of changing (online) shopping habits, empty units and redevelopment. Surprisingly, the most recent building, Centre West, is due to be demolished for housing, with a new north-south street put next to it. Other demolitions would create space for a new town square and car parking by the Queensway trunk road. However, there doesn’t seem to be any new crossing to the square or the path along the south of the site. The existing underpasses often have issues with broken glass and poor sight-lines/personal safety. This is why SLC are building segregated on-road cycle lanes on Churchill Avenue (not in the plans). Will the path be upgraded with improved links west near Blacklands Rd or across to Churchill Ave’s 2-way protected lanes? Also, could there be a further north-south link between Brouster Gate and the new square? Drop-in events were in the former Toytown shop, Princes Mall.
Website links: EK consultation boards and EK questionnaire.
Deadline: No obvious deadline but events finished late September.
1.6: Waiting to Happen (junctions consultation)
Company: New Practice (architecture practice).
Subject: Community engagement by the practice where Emma Burke Newman worked. She was killed by an HGV driver while cycling at the George V bridge/Broomielaw junction, near the casino, in February 2023. This consultation is about that junction and two others – Gorbals St at the Clutha Vaults pub and Albert Bridge/Clyde St (by the High Court). NP say: “These junctions are our focus of study as they feel like incidents-waiting-to-happen, and one is the site of Emma’s death.” Diagrams show movements around each junction (and include the council’s plans for the South City Way extension at the Clutha). New Practice carried out previous consultations like George Square and have applied their knowledge to make a user friendly page. “We want to hear your experiences when walking, wheeling, scooting, or as a driver to help inform solutions specific to these locations and create systems for a safer city for us all.”
Featured: Digest 141, 1.7.
Website links: Waiting to Happen consultation page.
Deadline: No obvious deadline (but New Practice say they’ll review the submissions and present to councillors).
Section 2: Consultation Feedback
2.1: Govan-Partick bridge progress
Subject: New pedestrian-cycle bridge under construction between Water Row, Govan and Pointhouse Quay, Yorkhill (with active travel links via the underpass at Ferry Rd towards Partick). As mentioned elsewhere on GoBike’s website, the main part of the bridge span has arrived (from the Netherlands). We have to wait until next year until the rest is installed and opened.
Featured: Govan Cross consultation.
Website links: Govan to Partick bridge – major progress.
2.2: Glasgow Uni Campus newsletter – October 2023
Organisation: Multiplex.
Subject: The new campus development continues with the demolition of one of the last remaining parts of the Western Infirmary. Hard landscaping around the Adam Smith building is due to complete in November. Will it be done in time for the public engagement event to be held there on Thursday 2 November 2023 (5.30pm – 8pm)?
Website links: Campus Newsletter October 2023.
Section 3: Proposed Traffic Regulation Orders
3.1: East Dunbartonshire TROs
Subject: Traffic Management Scheme (speed tables/humps) for Menteith Ave & Springfield Rd, Bishopbriggs – deadline: 3 November 2023.
Website links: East Dunbartonshire TROs.
3.2: Glasgow City TROs & Traffic Calming
Subject: A TRO for bus/taxi/cycle lanes on Paisley Rd West (by Bellahouston Park) – deadline: 3 November 2023.
Website links: Glasgow City Proposed TROs and Glasgow City Proposed Traffic Calming Schemes.
3.3: North Lanarkshire TROs
Subject: A TRO about reducing speed limits on/near the A89 in Bargeddie – deadline: 15 November 2023.
Website links: North Lanarkshire A89 TRO.