Category: Social and Recreation (Page 1 of 6)

Have Your Say – Queen’s Park Community Consultation

Queen’s Park Working Group, a community and Council partnership, has secured funding to engage landscape architects Ironside Farrar to develop proposals (and funding sources) to improve Queen’s Park and Recreation Ground.

As part of this work a Community Consultation has been launched that seeks folks’ views on how they use the park, what they like about it and how they think it could be improved.

The consultation questionnaire is available to complete in a variety of ways:

In addition, posters will be put up around the park and adjacent localities that will display a QR code that will link into the online questionnaire.

So if you want to have your say just go online or head to South Seeds to fill out the short questionnaire.

Queens-Park-Pond-House.jpg

Window Wanderland 2023

After a two year hiatus due to Covid, Strathbungo Window Wanderland will return, in spectacular style, on Saturday 25th February!

Date: Saturday 25 February 2023
Time: 6-9pm
Location: Strathbungo, Glasgow, G41
Cost: Free and unticketed. All welcome!

Now in its 5th year and fast becoming a cultural highlight of the community calendar, this vibrant southside neighbourhood will play host to a street party like no other as residents transform their windows into a dazzling display of colour, creativity and community spirit.

The Guardian described the last event, in 2020, as ‘a glorious psychedelic playground… a retina-shredding explosion of pop culture’ and this year’s return promises to be just as incredible, transforming our streets into a spectacular outdoor gallery for all to enjoy.

Previous years have seen incredible performances in front rooms, amazing projections onto buildings, dance parties, giant human jukeboxes, intricate installations, pop up bingo halls, hair salons and tattoo parlours and music filling the streets….

Locals are busy plotting, designing, painting, borrowing ladders and rigging lights all in the name of creating a beautiful walking trail through the area. We imagine the ups and downs of the past two years will provide rich fodder for many residents planning their displays! And the human jukebox will be back.

Organiser, Sarah Reid, explains: ‘After such an unsettled period, that has been stressful and isolating for so many, it feels more exciting than ever to be organising this event that brings so much joy and magic to so many. Window Wanderland highlights what’s so special about our community and the beautiful and incredible things we can do when we come together.’

Note: This is a walking event and we ask that visitors please use public transport to get to the event. Residents are asked to plan ahead and avoid driving in the area if at all possible.

Facebook and Instagram: @bungowindows

Kindly supported by the Strathbungo Society and Pollokshields Local Area Partnership.

Help for Hedgehogs

In response to recent sightings of hedgehogs in and around Strathbungo’s Gardens, the Strathbungo eco-group, ably assisted by local children, has put together a leaflet on helping hedgehogs to thrive. Printed copies are being distributed to houses in the Gardens, but if any one else would like a copy, here it is.

Hedgehogs Page 1

Hedgehogs, Page 1 – click to open pdf

Hedgehogs page 2

Hedgehogs, Page 2

Those weblinks from the poster:
Tiggywinkles
Hedgehog Street
Hessilhead Wildlife
Eco Group: strathbungoecogroup@gmail.com

Crossmyloof Active Travel Path – Council Response

For those who read about the idea of a walking and cycling path behind the Crossmyloof Resource Centre, to provide a direct route from Moray Place to Crossmyloof Station, here is the response from the relevant Council department.

The original proposal and comments from the community are in the earlier post, Active Travel in Strathbungo – The Crossmyloof Resource Centre path

OFFICIAL

MESSAGE SENT ON BEHALF OF
PROPERTY & LAND SERVICES

Dear Councillor

I refer to the enquiry received regarding the creation of an active travel path along the route of the rail line at Crossmyloof and traversing across the north of the site of the former care home (please refer to the attached plans).

On the face of it, the proposal would appear to have some merit. While there is existing access for pedestrian and cycles from Moray Place to the intersection of Titwood Road and Minard Road by means of turning left into Carswell Gardens and then turning right into Titwood Road, a path across the back of the care home site would be more direct and would shorten the journey. It would also be in line with Council policy on promoting Active Travel. However it would also inevitably mean a reduction in the likely capital receipt for the sale of the former care home and the investigation into the planning and viability of the path would also likely cause delay in securing a sale. While it is not possible to quantify how much the reduction might be, or what delay may occur, I think it fair to say that there would undoubtedly be some reduction in the capital receipt.

In addition, the proposed route of the path uses the lane to the north of 45 Carswell Gardens. This lane is in private ownership and is not adopted. Therefore in order to use the section of lane to the north of 45 Carswell Gardens for the Active Travel Route we would need to obtain permission of the owner of the land including permission to remove the section of wall. It is also very likely that the owners of the houses on the western side of Carswell Gardens that back on to the lane will have vehicular access rights to use the lane including the section to the north of 45 Carswell Gardens. If we were looking to restrict cars from using that section of the lane then agreement would need to be reached with each of the individual house owners on that point. Such a restriction would make it awkward for vehicles to get in and out and would likely lead to cars reversing onto Titwood Road. If a restriction on cars wasn’t required we would need to consider a path design that would accommodate both pedestrian and car users.

Clearly there are a number of issues that would need to be addressed in order to make the proposed Active Travel Route a reality. In addressing those issues there are no guarantees that agreement could be reached with either the landowner of the lane or the individual house owners, or that the terms, if offered, by the different parties would be acceptable to the Council. I would also add that the Council is committed to the development of a city-wide Active Travel Strategy which will deliver a strategic plan for Glasgow. A recruitment process is currently underway to undertake the development of this plan over the next 12 months. In advance of this, it may be premature to deliver stand-alone projects which may not necessarily fit with this city-wide strategy.

In conclusion, while recognising that the proposal has some merit, on balance we do not feel that this option should be pursued given the reduced capital receipt for the sale of the former care home; the cost of reaching agreement with the lane owner and possibly the housed holders; the amount of officers time required to negotiate and reach agreement with the various parties; the possibility that such work would be abortive should no agreement be reached; and also the development of the city-wide Active Travel Strategy may identify an alternative or more strategic active travel proposal for this locality which could negate the need for this proposed intervention.

Yours sincerely

Map of resource centre

Council map of Crossmyloof Resource Centre Site with path overlaid in blue

The response included these maps. The blue line is an exact reproduction from my sketch, and was apparently initially taken literally by the officers, who objected to it bisecting the site.

Cllr Jon Molyneux plans to go back to the council officer for clarification of some of the points raised. He, like I, feels this reads like a contrived excuse to do nothing.

What do you think? Feel free to add your comments on the council response, and in favour or against the idea of a path.

Langside Halls – view new proposals and have your say

Langside Halls Trust, working with funding Glasgow-based Hoskins Architects and culture & heritage consultants, Jura Consultants, have develop proposals for Langside Halls as an inclusive and sustainable venue for the Southside. Working with partners Glad Café, Southside Fringe, Southside Film Festival and others, the Trust want to create a regular cultural and social programme at the Halls, use them as a platform for Southside organisations and continue their traditional role as an affordable community-venue-for-hire.

Proposed improvements to the Halls would see them become fully accessible, with greater flexibility and more useful spaces as well as creating a new welcoming entrance space and new meeting spaces to accommodate all user groups – and to allow Langside Halls to fulfil its full potential as an important community and cultural hub.

Kevin Kane, Chair of Langside Halls Trust said:

The feasibility study proposals seek to breathe new life into Langside Halls and make them a fully accessible and attractive venue for communities across the South Side. The Trust wants to share the proposals with the wider community and to hear what folks and local organisations think of them – as well as what would make them use the Halls more.

The proposals can be viewed at the Langside Halls Trust’s website at where you will also find a community questionnaire where you can have you say on what is proposed. The community engagement runs until this Sunday, 28th February.

Langside Entrance Hall

The Strathbungo Eco Group

The wind is biting and there’s still frost and snow lingering in the Bungo. However, if we look closely, green shoots are peeping up from the earth in our gardens and snowdrops are blooming. The days are growing longer and we can sense that new life is beginning to stir after the dark days of winter. So thoughts will be turning to our gardens and green spaces which are such a solace for us in trying times. Our worlds have shrunk but nearby nature has drawn us to look more closely.

A deeper sense of community, a love of nature and a desire to address climate change prompted a group of us in our WhatsApp support group in the red sandstone terraces of Strathbungo to form an Eco group. We’ve been looking at how to make our homes greener, how we can encourage biodiversity, and reimagining our local environment as a space for people by reducing traffic and pollution. We now welcome everyone interested in all of Strathbungo so please get in touch if you’re interested; email us at strathbungoecogroup@gmail.com.

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Bike Hangars are coming…

The Glasgow Times today announced that the Council are finally going ahead with plans for bike storage lockers, including in our neighbourhood.

Streets will include amongst others

  • 48 Waverley Street
  • 4 Nithsdale Road
  • 95 Nithsdale Drive
  • 16 Kildrostan Street
  • 2 Balvicar Drive
  • Balvicar St/Pollokshaws Road

More details in the Glasgow Times article.

Don’t see anything on the council website about it though.

Active Travel in Strathbungo – The Crossmyloof Resource Centre path

Here’s a New Year thought.

The triangle of land behind Carswell Gardens used to be a Corporation depot & yard, but more recently was used for the Crossmyloof Resource Centre & old folks home. That has now closed, as it is considered surplus to requiremetns, and the Council is putting the site up for sale. It is likely to be bought by a developer for housing, which could in itself have significant impact on Strathbungo, although apparently care home operators may also be interested. We will have to watch this space.

Meanwhile however it also presents an unusual opportunity. The Council has the ability to reserve a strip of land alongside the railway fence extending directly from Moray Place to the end of Titwood Road, and so provide a traffic free path for walkers and those on bikes to get quickly and safely to Crossmyloof Station and Morrisons’ supermarket.
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