Further changes for the Broomielaw, more Liveable Neighbourhoods and transport plans. 

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

1.1: Howwood Road development

Council: Renfrewshire Council.
Subject: “Proposal of Application Notice (PAN) to Renfrewshire Council for the site… Bounded By Dundonald Ave, Highcraig Ave, Craigview Ave and Craigbog [Ave], Johnstone. The purpose of the PAN is to consult on a proposed residential development comprising around 70no properties for affordable housing.”
Consultation event – Tuesday 22 May 2024 from 3pm – 7pm: Thorn Athletic Sports Academy, Greenend Ave, Johnstone PA5 0LD.
Website links: Howwood Rd consultation webpage and Howwood survey.
Deadline: 31 May 2024.

1.2: Gallowhill housing development

Council: Renfrewshire Council.
Subject: A development in Paisley: “New Council housing in Gallowhill. McTaggart Construction have been awarded the contract to design and build 65 homes at a vacant site off Montgomery Road.”
Consultation event – Tuesday 28 May 2024 from 3pm – 7pm: Gallowhill Community Centre, 166 Netherhill Road, Paisley, PA3 4SF. 
Website links: Gallowhill consultation webpage and Gallowhill survey.
Deadline: 31 May 2024.

1.3: Liveable Neighbourhoods Tranche 3

Council: Glasgow City.
Subject: GCC program to “rebalance the way streets are designed and used” and “placing walking, wheeling, cycling and public transport as a first, and logical choice for everyday journeys.” The latest ‘Tranche’ of neighbourhoods include: Cardonald to Mosspark, Knightswood to Anniesland, Lambhill to Milton and Ruchazie to Easterhouse. They include destinations like Bellahouston Park, Glasgow BMX Centre, Lambhill Stables and The Fort Shopping Centre. All four areas are around the edge of the city boundary – cross-border connections to other councils will be important as well as links between neighbourhoods.
DROP-IN EVENTS:

• FRIDAY 17th MAY – 2pm–6pm: 
  Greater Easterhouse Supporting Hands (GESH), 1 Redcastle Square, G33 5EG
• TUESDAY 21st MAY – 2pm–6pm: 
  Blairtummock Housing Association, 45 Boyndie St, Glasgow G34 9JL
• WEDNESDAY 22nd MAY – 3pm–7pm:
  Easterhouse Sports Centre, 12 Auchinlea Road, Glasgow, G34 9HQ
• THURSDAY 23rd MAY – 2pm–7pm:
  Palace of Art, 1121 Paisley Road West, Bellahouston, Glasgow, G52 1EQ

Website links: Liveable Neighbourhoods Tranche 3.
Deadline: “June 2024”.

1.4: North Lanarkshire Local Development Plan 2 (NLLDP2) – Topic Paper Consultation

Council: North Lanarkshire.
Subject: Another step in the process for a new development plan. Topics include forests, historic places, vacant land, design quality, rural homes and soil(!).
Featured: Digest 143, 1.7.
Website links: NLLDP2 Topic Paper Consultation.
Deadline: 2 June 2024.

1.5: Broomielaw/Clyde St Avenue

Council: Glasgow City.
Subject: As work on Argyle Street West is due to start, the route along the river is still evolving. Spaces for People established a protected westbound bike lane on the road parallel to the Clyde Walkway path. Bridge works took away a section before the SfP route was reinstated. In between, work took place at Jamaica St to avoid left-hook collisions. Tragically, Emma Burke Newman was killed by that manoeuvre at the next junction along at the casino/George V Bridge. The route has been used by some to go eastbound since 2020 but is now being made permanently 2-way (between the M8 and Glasgow Green). It’s due to take roadspace for a mixture of 2-way and 1-way lanes so the route switches sides of the road a few times at traffic lights. The light sequences will be crucial for safety at junctions and to minimise waiting time. Could there be a ‘green wave’ along the Clyde?
Website links: Glasgow Avenues: Broomielaw – Clyde Street survey, Broomielaw/Clyde St plans and Avenues STV report.
Deadline: 14 June 2024.

1.6: Travel Renfrewshire 2035

Council: Renfrewshire.
Subject: Local Transport Strategy for Renfrewshire – consultants Aecom are working with the council. The most relevant point on the consultation page for GoBike is: “new walking, wheeling and cycling routes including a new route along the White Cart river between Paisley and Renfrew.” Predictably, it doesn’t mention dropping the plan for a cycleway on Causeyside St, Paisley. Nor the Spaces for People routes removed, like at Howwood. There’s an online map and survey to contribute to.
Website links: Renfrewshire LTS consultation page, Renfrewshire LTS online feedback survey and Renfrewshire LTS online comment map.
Deadline: 27 June 2024.

Section 2: Consultation Feedback

2.1: East Kilbride town centre – update

Council: South Lanarkshire.
Subject: EK’s town centre redevelopment is approved by SLC. Also, the dualing of Stewartfield Way gets council approval (but needs further permission from the Council Executive and Glasgow City Region Programme Management Office). These weren’t likely to be refused, especially as the council leader, Joe Fagan, is a councillor for East Kilbride town centre. An STV video features Green councillor Kirsten Robb making the case for an alternative to the road widening.
Featured: Digest 144, Item 1.4 & Digest 48, 1.8.
Website links: EK SLC article and EK STV report.

Section 3: Proposed Traffic Regulation Orders

3.1: Glasgow City TROs and Traffic Calming

Subject: TROs include Gartloch Rd (speed limit), Dougrie Dr, Holland St, Barras North and Queen’s Drive & Langside Rd.
Website links: GCC Proposed Traffic Regulation Orders and GCC Proposed Traffic Calming Schemes.

Running is covered by access rights. So companies are allowed to hold such events, provided they minimise any impacts on other users. On this basis and to keep you informed, the council have advised the organisers the following:

Council Advice To Organisers

The Clyde Walkway, which you are proposing to use for the fun run, is part of the National Cycle Network and one of the main commuter cycling and pedestrian routes in Glasgow, so the key thing is not to cause disruption for the public on this route. Organising exclusive use of the route would be very problematic. If you can manage to share the route with the public, this would be preferable.

In order to do this, there are a few ‘rules of thumb’ to stick to:

1. Time the event to be out with the main commuter times-so avoid 7.30am to 9.30am, and 4pm to 6.30pm on weekdays
2. Ensure you have enough stewards to guide the runners and the public and mitigate conflict;
3. Inform participants that the public (both pedestrians and cyclists) has a right to be on the route and therefore fun runners must behave with courtesy at all times-ideally guide them to stick to one side of the route;
4. If possible, find a way to ensure the pack has split up before it reaches the narrower parts of the route (for example have the first stage as a circuit around a car park, to break up the field). You can’t really have e.g. 80 runners starting together on the Walkway without holding up the pedestrian and cycle traffic
5. Notify the public in advance by posting notices on site the day before, warning that an event will be taking place the following day and there may be some disruption (I can provide wording- you would need to provide and erect the notices);
6. Consider doing a circuit utilising both sides of the River and the bridges. For example, you could start outside the BBC or Science Centre on the South bank of the river, opposite the SEC as it is a much less busy area;
7. Wherever you start you should liaise with the occupiers (SEC, Peel Ports Ltd, RiversideMuseum, BBC, Science Centre) to ensure you will not disrupt their activities, such as deliveries,etc.

Planned Dates

Planed dates so far this year are:
– Wednesday 22nd May – 6.30pm-8:30pm
– Wednesday 7th August 6:30pm-8:30pm

GoBike Response

GoBike are pleased to see such active travel, health promoting activities taking place. Glasgow does not make enough of our waterfront. This kind of use should further highlight the need for widening and improving the waterfront ‘promenade’.

We do however have some concerns, which we have expressed to Glasgow City Council. This section of NCN 7 is quite narrow for most of the way and includes a couple of pinch points. It is a fairly heavily used path by pedestrians and dog walkers, as well as cyclists. Such events would need to be sensitively managed, in order to not overly inconvenience current users.