Look North.
After Ayrshire dominating the last issue, this time North Lanarkshire joins North Ayrshire and a new consultation on North Woodside Road, Glasgow. Sadly, NLC favour new roads and shared paths over on-street segregation (see above). However, there’s a chance to ask for better in their new strategy.
Apologies there was no issue last week due to IT issues – hopefully back on track.
Contents
(new consultations in bold)
1: Current Consultations
- North Ayrshire Draft Local Transport & Active Travel Strategy
- Palacerigg Future Housing – Stage 2, Public Consultation
- Ayr to Barassie Active Travel Route
- North Woodside Road Consultation
- North Ayrshire Council – Local Development Plan 3
- North Lanarkshire Council – Green and open space survey
- Devon Street Urban Park
2: Consultation Feedback
3: Proposed Traffic Regulation Orders
Section 1: Current Consultations
(in date order for responses)
1.1: North Ayrshire Draft Local Transport & Active Travel Strategy
Council: North Ayrshire.
Subject: An overall transport strategy for North Ayrshire with an active travel strategy within it (page 24 onwards). The active travel strategy introduction includes collision data and case studies (like Trinity Active Travel Hub in Irvine). The rest has analysis and potential projects for different parts of the region (including Ardrossan Connections, as featured in previous Digests). Links to public transport are mentioned and it seems more in-depth than the public transport section, which doesn’t include specific projects. There’s a survey and remaining consultation events (early April in Millport, Saltcoats and Brodick).
Website links: North Ayrshire Draft Local Transport & Active Travel Strategy (PDF), North Ayrshire LTATS survey, North Ayrshire LTATS feedback form and North Ayrshire LTATS consultation webpage.
Deadline: 23 April 2023.
1.2: Palacerigg Future Housing – Stage 2, Public Consultation
Council: North Lanarkshire.
Subject: This stage 2 consultation comes hot on the heels of stage 1. It’s about plans for a large housing estate in the South Cumbernauld Community Growth Area. More details are included in PDF plans. There’s a short cycle route but it seems it’s only within the estate for some reason. There’s nothing about a crucial link to nearby Cumbernauld train station or Palacerigg Country Park. That seems to contradict National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4), which puts more emphasis on active travel.
Featured: Digest 129, Item 1.4.
Website links: Palacerigg Future Housing consultation (stage 2).
Deadline: 26 April 2023.
1.3: Ayr to Barassie Active Travel Route
Council: South Ayrshire.
Subject: Further stage of public consultation for the wider active travel route between Ayr and Barassie (the phase from Dundonald has featured in a previous Digest). The longer route is being called the Ayrshire Link. Consultation events have finished.
Featured: Digest 127, Item 1.1.
Website links: Ayr to Barassie Active Travel Route consultation page and Ayrshire Link website.
Deadline: 1 May 2023.
1.4: 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.
1.5: 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.
1.6: 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.
1.7: 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: Ravenscraig Access Infrastructure (RAI) rail ‘underbridge’ installed
Council: North Lanarkshire.
Subject: The concrete ‘underbridge’ for a new dual carriageway is now installed under the West Coast Mainline in Motherwell. NLC, who declared a Climate Emergency in 2019, emailed to boast that the new structure had “one of the largest concrete bridge lifts in Europe” and cost £16.9m. The new link is part of the Ravenscraig Access Infrastructure (RAI) project to reduce severance from the railway embankment between Windmillhill St and Ravenscraig. However, one image (above) shows an old rail underpass, visible from Meadow Rd. Developing that into an active travel connection would cost a fraction of the City Deal project. Images show what has been demolished so far around Rose St with more due to follow to install the proposed 90m+ (>300ft) diameter roundabout at the eastern end of Airbles Rd. GoBike objected to the lack of cycling-only provision but that wasn’t mentioned in the planning approval.
Featured: Digest 75, Item 1.2.
Website links: Ravenscraig rail bridge article, rail bridge video and Ravenscraig Access Infrastructure project page.
Section 3: Proposed Traffic Regulation Orders
3.1: East Dunbartonshire TROs
Areas: Bearsden, Bishopbriggs, Clachan of Campsie and Kirkintilloch.
Subject: Orders about parking restrictions, electric charging and speed limits.
Website links: East Dunbartonshire TROs.
3.2: North Lanarkshire TROs
Areas: Towns and villages throughout the county.
Subject: Part-time 20 miles per hour speed restrictions –many around schools.
‘Various Roads, Southern Area’ – Deadline: 26 April 2023. ‘Various Roads, Northern Area’ – Deadline: 3 May 2023.
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.