Letters to the Editor - February 17, 2010
READERS have their say...
RE development proposals: Bishopbriggs High School site.
One of the problems I see in this area is that developers continue to build large retail units long after saturation point has been reached - as is evident in Strathkelvin Retail Park and Robroyston where a large number of units lie empty.
I fear the retail units contained in the above proposals will suffer the same fate: few businesses can hope to succeed in close proximity to such a large supermarket.
Everyone knows the best place to build the new school was on the site of the old one but its removal has presented a 'once in a lifetime' opportunity to regenerate our once attractive and vibrant town centre. The existing supermarket, while providing an excellent service to the local community, is detrimental to the well being of the town centre: it totally dominates the area and the continuous flow of vehicles in and out, by constantly interrupting the heavy flow of traffic on the main road, makes it a major factor in creating the worst bottleneck and one of the most heavily polluted areas in the country.
When I heard the town centre was to be redeveloped I envisaged a pedestrianised area with high quality amenities - shops selling quality goods, a restaurant or even a pub.
There is no shortage of potential custom for such facilities in Bishopbriggs - in fact I know of many who travel to Milngavie for just that experience.
Although I am of the opinion that it would be better were the existing supermarket to be moved elsewhere - after all there is an abundance of suitable sites - I am sure that with a little imagination it could be incorporated into an acceptable design.
I see the proposed supermarket as a disastrous plan of epic proportions: not only will it exacerbate the current problems, it will create a whole host of additional ones not least in the immediate vicinity.
The nearby residents are very apprehensive, some actually frightened, by the probable consequences.
I regret this opportunity to regenerate our town centre is being misused and deplore the way the proposal has reached a critical stage without the knowledge of the local community. Despite repeated attempts by a number of people to find out what was happening the developer has managed to obtain outline planning permission 'behind our backs.'
Our local councillors have been uncharacteristically silent about this matter and I feel it is time they explained their involvement.
H Smith,
Hillside Drive
Bishopbriggs.
I AM writing to you regarding the regeneration plans for Bishopbriggs town centre.
Bishopbriggs Cross must be one of the worst hotspots for air pollution in Scotland so why add to it by building a large supermarket and car park in the village centre?
Most Bishopbriggs people would like to keep the village aspect and would prefer a number of small retail units. There are two large supermarkets near at hand, one at Robroyston and one at St Rollox, another one is superfluous.
The proposed community hall is also unnecessary. We already have two memorial halls, three sports centres (Leisuredrome, Huntershill and Allan Glens) two golf courses, two bowling greens, a tennis club, a scout hall and guide hall. There are seven churches with halls available for letting - why do we require another hall?
There is a lot of talk about a lack of facilities for young people.
Perhaps a list should be drawn up and displayed in all the schools and in the library of what is available. We also have two new schools and their facilities should be available for residents.
Please leave the town centre as it is and instead of building a large supermarket, fill the empty shops with retail units, not banks, building societies, travel centres and eating places.
Marion Thomson,
1 Mavis Bank,
Bishopbriggs.
I READ with interest the article headed 'Cutback fears for archives' in the issue of January 27, especially the council comments it contained.
However, my understanding is that the new structure provides for only one professional post in information and/or archives at Kirkintilloch, as opposed to five previously. It is unclear how this person would be expected to provide a service in two separate professional disciplines, both of which involve collection maintenance (including cataloguing and indexing), collection development, answering enquiries and outreach work, not to mention the day-to-day staffing of the department.
If this document is intended to save money, it appears to be going about it in a very strange way. My understanding is that the 'Cultural Development' team leader will supervise a whole raft of bureaucratic posts, some of them no doubt useful, but others entirely new and to my mind unnecessary.
These desk-bound jobs have been created at the expense of staff involved in serving the public directly, in Information & Archives, the community libraries and the Auld Kirk Museum.
This seems like a grim caricature of people's worst fears about local government, where proper public service is constantly eroded in favour of yet more bureaucracy.
Don Martin,
Glasgow Road,
Kirkintilloch.
In the words of that hero of all cynics Victor Meldrew - "I don't believe it!".
I must say that our council is asking a lot in leading us to believe, with doom-filled words of woe, that due to the recent cold spell, our roads are now so badly damaged that it will take months to repair. Vehicle drivers will not, however, see the funny side of this statement, given that our roads were already in a poor state of repair before the cold weather.
Still, it is good to be reminded that once more we will have to wait for something really important to happen or be done. Locals will not be surprised at this at all. Perhaps, though, I could suggest to the council roads department that new signs be quickly created and displayed across our area, with the wording - "Beware. Drivers swerving".
Given the precarious state of our roads, often the only course of action poor drivers can take is to steer round potholes, clearly to the considerable danger of other drivers. Victor, if you lived in East Dunbartonshire you would be in your element.
S. Klimowicz,
Muirside Avenue,
Kirkintilloch.
I am surprised and shocked at how few people around Bishopbriggs seem to know of the plans to build a huge supermarket in the centre of the town on the site of the old high school.
I am not surprised, however, that I have not met anybody who thinks this is a good idea or that it is what Bishopbriggs needs.
I am appalled that outline planning permission has already been granted when awareness within the community is so low, and when the council has done the absolute minimum in engaging with the community to make them aware of the plans and to find out their views.
Apart from the obvious and serious concerns of greatly increased traffic levels and environmental impacts (not least air pollution levels in an official 'hot spot' of pollution), we are in danger of losing a great opportunity to do something imaginative, creative and exciting at this prime location which would serve the whole community's needs.
It would take time to develop ideas, but I feel that there is a desire within Bishopbriggs to be far more aspirational and community-focussed than just developing more retail facilities. I would like to see the current plans put on hold until we know that the council are really going to take on board the residents' views and set their sights higher. I would certainly like to know from the council how they think the proposed development will build a greater sense of community; how it will meet the needs of young and old alike; and what other options were considered and rejected.
Mick Ashworth,
St Mary's Road,
Bishopbriggs.
With regards to the recent attacks on firefighters in Lennoxtown, I hope these incidents will now, finally, make the police and our local councillors take seriously the fact that gangs of youths regularly make life in this village a misery for residents.
I have lived in Lennoxtown for ten years and during that time have lost count of the number of times my neighbours and I have phoned the police about anti-social behaviour, disturbances at night and vandalism.
We are told the community police officers have targeted the village on numerous occasions, but they only work until 10pm. The problems usually take place between 11pm and 2am.
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Wednesday 30 May 2012
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