Consultation Digest (Local) Issue 164, 08 August 2024

InDigestion?

There are a few additions in this issue as we come out of holiday time. However, a recent GoBike meeting raised wider questions about the Digest (and GoBike itself).

For a while during the pandemic, updates from the Digest (and, when allowed, monthly rides) were the only parts of GoBike still going. However, the form the Digest takes needs to work for growing GoBike’s membership/reaching a new audience (especially online).

Feedback at the meeting cast doubt over the role of the Digest. Partly as some people didn’t seem to read it (thinking it was monthly or a general newsletter). But also the opinion that it needed more emphasis on which consultations were the important ones to respond to. That’s a fair comment that this issue tries to address.

Other ideas from the meeting suggested an appetite for more updates about the (many) infrastructure works going on in and around Glasgow. (I’ve dipped a toe in the water on that with a recent tweet about progress on Pitt St/Holland St.) Other points included news about events (like the Aye Cycle Network event on 20 August) and there was a kind offer of an update about the latest research on cycling/active travel. That seems to point towards a broader newsletter, rather than the Digest’s narrower focus on consultations.

Other online newsletters like #BikeIsBest or edi.bike seem like a possible template to follow? (Although this graphic designer probably would prefer a few more visuals!) While the meeting spent some time talking about social media, I know many members don’t use it or apps, smartphones, etc. and email is still probably the most democratic way to reach people.

However, I have to be honest that I don’t think I could commit to a weekly update (I’m not sure how long I can keep doing a fortnightly one!). Would a more general, monthly newsletter work better (with ad hoc posts to cover any shorter term consultations)? Would you be willing to help contribute (even just sending in local news/photos of recent works in your area, for example)?

Please send your thoughts about the above to: consultations@gobike.org.

Featured Consultation

SPT Draft Regional Active Travel Strategy

Organisation: Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT).
Subject: A chance to have your say about a proposed network of walking/cycling routes for towns and villages across the Strathclyde region. The gist is main ‘spoke’/corridor routes towards Glasgow, a few radial routes and a triangle of links in Ayrshire. These are shown in the loosely labelled Connecting Places map and other numbered AT network maps (which can be hard to follow). SPT seem to prioritise cross-boundary routes, with varying results. For example, the existing route from Uddingston to Viewpark (SPT number it as 50_10) – a 1km upgrade where NCN 74 & 75 meet on North/South Lanarkshire boundary – is a ‘top’ priority. Meanwhile, a niche cross-region route from Lanark to Livingstone (CRR_12 – South Lanarkshire/West Lothian) is ‘high’ priority at 32km! However, a 5km route from East Kilbride to Hamilton, South Lanarkshire (37_10) – currently 60mph roads with no safe cycle route between Scotland’s 6th and 8th largest settlements – is only ‘medium’ priority!? The quality of cycle track described is an improvement on some of the plans SPT have funded in the past (most notably the redesign of Pollok Roundabout). However, the strategy has no timescales or budgets and SPT lost all their capital funding last year. Despite that setback, they are influential in the regional Glasgow Bus Partnership and on ‘bus vs cycle’ routes (via Glasgow’s Spatial Delivery Framework).
Featured: Consultation Extra (20-10-23).
Website links: Regional Active Travel Strategy webpage, Regional AT Strategy storymap (including interactive Priority map), draft Regional ATS document (PDF) and Regional ATS online survey.
Deadline: 1 September 2024.

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

1.1: Elderslie For Everyone – Main Road workshop

Council: Renfrewshire.
Subject: In-person workshops, run by Sustrans, to gather ideas/suggestions about improving Main Road, Elderslie.
Event: Thursday 15 August, 3pm – 7pm in Elderslie Village Hall, Stoddard Square, PA5 9AS.
Website links: Elderslie for Everyone Commonplace website.
Deadline: 15 August 2024.

1.2: Loudoun Castle and Estate Draft Supplementary Guidance

Council: East Ayrshire.
Subject: The estate around the derelict Loudoun Castle, between Galston and Newmilns (by the A71).
Website links: Loudoun Castle and Estate Draft Supplementary Guidance (PDF).
Deadline: 16 August 2024.

1.3: North Lanarkshire Local Development Plan 2 – Topic Paper Consultation (Batch 3)

Council: North Lanarkshire.
Subject: Supplementary guidance topic papers for NL LDP2.
Featured: Digest 158, 1.6 (Batch 1 – we seem to have missed Batch 2, apologies).
Website links: NL LDP2 Topic Papers Consultation webpage and Topic Paper Consultation – Batch 3 survey.
Deadline: 29 August 2024.

1.4: Tell Us About Your Place (West Dunbartonshire)

Council: West Dunbartonshire.
Subject: A survey based on the Place Standard tool to ‘score’ areas of the county. 
Events – In Person drop-in (with presentation at 4.30pm):
– Alexandria Community Centre, 28 August 2024, 3pm – 7pm
– Dalmuir Community Centre, 11 September 2024, 3pm – 7pm.
Virtual Drop-in events: 28 August, 10am – 11:30am and 3 September, 6:30pm – 8pm.
Website links: Tell Us About Your Place webpage (including survey link).
Deadline: 30 September 2024.

1.5: South Lanarkshire – Local Development Plan 3 (LDP3)

Council: South Lanarkshire.
Subject: Plan to “set out how our places will look in the future”.
Website links: South Lanarkshire View article and LDP3 webpage (including survey link).
Deadline: 30 September 2024.

Section 2: Consultation Feedback

None we’re aware of this time.

Section 3: Proposed Traffic Regulation Orders

3.1: Glasgow City TROs and Traffic Calming

Subject: GCC emailed to say they’d ‘made’ (enacted) the TRO for North Hanover St/Kyle St. This probably means the works for the N Hanover St Avenue will start shortly (once Byres Rd Phase 1 is complete?).
Website links: GCC Proposed Traffic Regulation Orders and GCC Proposed Traffic Calming Schemes.

3.2: North Lanarkshire TROs

Subject: TRO to add a Puffin crossing on Drumcavel Road (A752) at the eastern edge of Muirhead. The reason for the location seems to be the existing bus stop on the north side of the road and new housing being built south of Drumcavel Rd.
Website links: Drumcavel Road, Muirhead – Puffin Crossing webpage and Drumcavel Road TRO plan (PDF).