Plans for a few Paisley landmarks to connect with more green space. Glasgow has guidance on green belt, delivery, place and a few Development Frameworks. East Dunbartonshire gathers evidence at events for its Local Development Plan 3. Also, neighbourhood plans in East Kilbride and school streets in East Ayrshire.

The new look Digest is still coming together as well – hopefully in the New Year.

Image: ‘Paisley Abbey from the south east’, taken from Cotton Street where there are plans to remove slip roads.
© User:Colin / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0

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

1.1: Paisley town centre junction improvements

Council: Renfrewshire.
Subject: Changes to remove filter lanes at junctions at either end of Gauze St, Paisley. One by Paisley Abbey and the other on Glasgow Rd (A726) by St Mirin’s RC Cathedral. Both plans would add crossings, increase space for walking and, to an extent, cycling. They’re within the area of Paisley First, the town centre Business Improvement District (BID) who shot down plans for segregated cycleways on nearby Causeyside St. So, these slight improvements may still need support.
Website links: Paisley town centre junction improvements page, Glasgow Rd junction plan and Gauze St/Cotton St junction plan. Respond by email: ei@renfrewshire.gov.uk.
Deadline: 22 December 2023.

1.2: East Kilbride South Neighbourhood Planning 2023

Council: South Lanarkshire.
Subject: Local planning project about a wide range of issues including transport and public spaces. Intended for residents of the southern part of East Kilbride – doesn’t mention neighbourhoods but presumably Greenhills, Whitehills, Mossneuk, etc.
Website links: EK South Neighbourhood Planning webpage and EK South Neighbourhood Planning survey.
Deadline: 30 December 2023.

1.3: Supplementary Guidance SG6: Green Belt and Green Network

Council: Glasgow City.
Subject: A side salad served with the City Development Plan. Detailed guidance on… “development in the Green Belt, the enhancement of the green network, the protection of open space… provision of open space to support new development, …the role of contributions from new development in delivering… different types of open space.” Includes scoring tables and maps of city greenspace provision.
Website links: SG6 consultation draft and SG6 survey.
Deadline: 18 January 2024.

1.4: Supplementary Guidance SG12: Delivering Development

Council: Glasgow City.
Subject: A side dish served with the City Development Plan (probably chips). “Further detailed guidance, including the mechanisms the Council will use to secure contributions to deliver the Clyde Fastlink project, a public transport scheme intended to enhance public transport access along the Clyde Waterfront.” Includes tables categorising different sizes of development and financial contributions for each type. There are no maps but it’s probably the same route via the Squinty Bridge to Govan as in TROs from several years ago. There are currently developments proposed and being built along the route around Central Quay and Yorkhill.
Website links: SG12 consultation draft and SG12 survey.
Deadline: 18 January 2024.

1.5: 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).

1.6: 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.

1.7: 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.

1.8: 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.

1.9: School Street Trial, Hurlford

Organisation: Ayrshire Roads Alliance (ARA).
Subject: School Streets trial in Academy Street and Union Street, Hurlford (East Ayrshire). Temporary bollards and reduction in parking spaces directly in front of Hurlford Primary School.
Website links: Hurlford School Streets webpage and (very short) School Streets survey.
Deadline: No obvious deadline.

Section 2: Consultation Feedback

2.1: Pavement parking and enforcement

Subject: Without wanting to step on the toes of our National Consultation Digest, new powers over pavement parking are due to come into force by early 2024. City of Edinburgh Council announced they’d use new pavement parking powers from January 2024. In Glasgow, councillor Angus Millar responded to a question about pavement parking: “Glasgow intends to begin limited enforcement of dropped kerbs and double parking upon completion of the necessary update to our back office system, which is currently targeted for March 2024.”
Most councils in Strathclyde have already got Decriminalised Parking Enforcement (DPE) powers, where they’ve taken over parking enforcement from police. According to Transport Scotland’s DPE map, only North Ayrshire and West Dunbartonshire don’t have DPE already.
Website links: GCC question on pavement parking (Glasgow Times) and report on measures in Transport Bill (2018 – SPICe).

Section 3: Proposed Traffic Regulation Orders

3.1: Glasgow City TROs & Traffic Calming

Website links: Glasgow City Proposed TROs and Glasgow City Proposed Traffic Calming Schemes. TRO for Wallacewell Road and NEATR (deadline: 15 December 2023). Parking restrictions for Yorkhill and Toryglen St. Temporary TRO for South City Way, Victoria Bridge to Trongate works (ongoing at Clutha junction).

3.2: North Lanarkshire TROs

Website links: North Lanarkshire Live Consultations. A752/Townhead Road speed limits and penalties for abuse of off-street car parking.

GoBike got onto a better footing in 2023 but, like many others, still isn’t back to where it was pre-pandemic. A few more people are stepping back so we still need volunteers. Thanks to everyone who’s contributed in 2023 – let’s hope things improve further in 2024.

Merry Christmas and a Guid Hogmanay – see you in the New Year.

Not many new consultations to start the year. However, it’s a last chance to comment on some existing consultations and a planning application at the Science Centre/BBC has some feedback.

The weather hasn’t helped but have you been able to try any 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). It’s near Hillhead Primary School, with its School Street…

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 – School Streets, Glasgow (Prohibition of Motor Vehicles) Order 202_, (closes 11 January 2021)
2. East Dunbartonshire Council – Proposed Local Development Plan 2 (LDP2), closes 15 January 2021
3. Glasgow City Council – North Glasgow Strategic Development Framework (SDF), closes 29 January 2021
4. Glasgow City Council – Protected Junction Trial consultation (Victoria Rd)

Section 2: Forthcoming Consultations

None.

Section 3: Consultation Feedback

1. Glasgow Science Centre – Planning application 20/02068/FUL

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

1.1: Glasgow City Council – School Streets, Glasgow (Prohibition of Motor Vehicles) Order 202_, (closes 11 January 2021)

As covered in Digest 75, Item 1.4 this order makes trials into permanent School Streets at six primary schools: Bankhead PS, Broomhill PS, Hillhead PS, Lourdes PS, Our Lady of the Rosary PS and St Blanes PS. GoBike backs this move and hopes members can show support too.

1.2: East Dunbartonshire Council – Proposed Local Development Plan 2 (LDP2)
(closes 15 January 2021)

The deadline is approaching for East Dunbartonshire Council’s proposed LDP2 (as seen in Digest 72, Item 1.8). If you want to comment on how EDC could include active travel in future developments, you’ll need to email them soon. Their track record includes the first phase of the Bearsway and not very much since. Certainly no Spaces for People projects as they were the only mainland council not to bid for funding. See www.eastdunbarton.gov.uk/LDP2 and email: development.plan@eastdunbarton.gov.uk. 

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

This 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 about to lose some of the canal path during the Stockingfield bridge works. Recent gains include St Rollox Dr (past Sighthill Cemetery) and the Spaces for People lanes (on Bilsland Drive and Hawthorn St). See the North Glasgow SDF consultation document (PDF) and the online survey. The deadline was extended to 29 January 2021.

1.4: Glasgow City Council – Protected Junction Trial consultation (Victoria Rd)

GCC have a consultation open about the new protected junctions on the South City Way (as seen in Digest 74, Item 1.6). These are a trial for two years and the consultation doesn’t have a deadline. So, you should be able to submit comments about the new junctions at any time. They’re a first in Glasgow that GoBike would like to see repeated elsewhere.

Section 2: Forthcoming Consultations

None forthcoming this time.

Section 3: Consultation Feedback

3.1: Glasgow Science Centre – Public realm improvement works/alterations to road layout and car park (Planning Application 20/02068/FUL)

This planning application first featured in Digest 69, Item 1.5. The plans make some changes to the public space between the Science Centre and BBC building. Just now, you have to dodge concrete barriers between the Millennium Bridge and Pacific Quay service road. A direct path between them would help, since it can be a busy area.

However, this plan is for planting and seating outside the Science Centre with a new cycle path next to the road (in pink, above). This will run along the edge of the car park (replacing about 50 parking spaces) and across a side entrance road. It continues on what is currently a narrow grass strip, then goes across the pavement at a corner. It’s not clear if the pavement is shared use or if the cycle path joins the road.

The northern end of the cycle path leads to a curved shared space (marked 5), which people will walk across to get to the car park. This path will be built on what is currently a road within the car park. The turning circle between the Science Centre and BBC building will also be reduced. There is a ‘sheltered cycle hub’ with 94 bike parking spaces (marked at point 8). This seems to replace the small existing bike shelter for staff/visitors (maybe with double-deck bike parking). However, the existing Nextbike hire station is not shown at all. Update: seems Nextbike station is being retained (but isn’t marked on plan).

The plans do convert car parking spaces and some road space and into space for people walking and cycling. Overall, the scheme looks like it’s been planned for people visiting the Science Centre rather than people who cycle to work or for transport. The same company, Austin-Smith:Lord, are running the consultations about city centre districts.

See the documents on Glasgow City Council’s planning portal, including a GoBike response objecting to the route being less direct. These don’t seem to have been taken on board as the council has approved the plan, subject to conditions (GCC don’t give any further details).

Looking forward…

Further into 2021, new Spaces for People routes are due in Renfrewshire, East Renfrewshire and South Lanarkshire. Also, new cycle/pedestrian bridges are being built to Sighthill in Glasgow and Inchinnan, Renfrewshire. Perhaps we’ll have more next time.