Winter weather advice

As winter starts to bite I received the following message from Land and Environmental Services this afternoon and wanted to share the update and advice with residents.

From Land & Environmental Services.

The first significant snowfall of this winter has fallen overnight across Glasgow and many other parts of Scotland.

Our gritting fleet worked continuously throughout the night treating our priority carriageway routes. This morning, we had over 350 personnel involved in snow clearing and gritting of our priority and secondary carriageway and footway routes. Resources are also deployed on refilling grit bins across the City. GHA are also assisting in this operation.

The latest weather forecast predicts further frequent wintry showers throughout today and until the early hours of tomorrow morning. An accumulation of snow of up to 5cm is possible. The next few days are likely to see blustery showers of sleet and rain with temperatures dipping below zero overnight.

Other services have also been adversely affected by the weather, notably our refuse collection services which are likely to be disrupted during the next 48 hours. At the present time, all efforts are being made to uplift refuse from each area of the city as normal, but this will be subject to prevailing conditions throughout the day. Residents, who have presented their wheeled bins to the kerbside of their property, should leave wheeled bins at the kerbside as efforts will be made by the service to uplift these collections as soon as possible. The aim is to maintain normal scheduled collections in each neighbourhood of the city, however, this will be subject to local conditions and collections may be subject to delays in uplift.

Should any of your constituents have any particular concerns during this period, the most effective way of reporting these is via our 24hr fault reporting service on 0800 37 36 35.

Further information on our winter service, advice on self help and winter driving tips are also available on the Council’s website

New plans for Maryhill Park

Maryhill Park was recently selected for an exercise to consider opportunities to develop the park which had potential to deliver significant benefits for local residents.

The purpose of the project was to identify opportunities to improve the park based on local opinion and using the skills, knowledge and involvement of the community. As a result of this approach Glasgow City Council is now seeking to develop proposals to realise the potential of this resource and make a significant contribution to the development of Maryhill Park as an attractive and sustainable park.

Following consultation the draft report has identified a series of short term aims including quality entrances, better signage, new lighting, tree and shrub pruning and new planting. The report also highlights the need to upgrade the play area, create new footpaths, and provide educational opportunities for young people in the park.

Glasgow Life have stated that the tennis courts are still in demand by some of the local community, and are included as part of Glasgow Life’s Strategic Development Plan for tennis.

The report’s recommendations will be considered over the next few months.

Why I’m backing the Evening Times Organ Donation Campaign

Like 37% of Scots I’ve signed an organ donation card. Yet up to 90% of Scots indicate they support organ donation in the event of their death. That’s another 53% who could give the gift of life to someone after their own death.

That’s why I’m backing the Evening Times Campaign to persuade the Scottish Government to launch an ‘opt-out’ system of organ donation in which everyone is automatically placed on the donor register.

It would mean that, unless people opted out, hospitals would be allowed to use their organs for transplants.

Every day it is estimated that 3 people die in the UK while waiting for an organ transplant. A system of presumed consent could therefore literally save thousands of lives.

Please sign the Evening Times Petition at:

http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/go/optin

and join the organ register at:

https://www.organdonation.nhs.uk/ukt/RegistrationForm.do

Here is a good video from my colleague Alex Cole-Hamilton explaining why he backs Organ Donation

Action on Dog Fouling

 

Officers from Glasgow City Council and Glasgow Community and Safety Services are employing new tactics to crack down on irresponsible owners who refuse to clean up after their pets.

As well as continuing to issue fixed penalty notices to those caught in the act, teams will, for the first time, use CCTV and witness statements to issue them retrospectively.

Dog wardens will uplift animals that are stray or not under proper control.

And Clean Glasgow will work with landlords, where possible – and use antisocial behaviour legislation where it is not – to tackle persistent offenders.

Ultimately, this may mean going to court to remove an animal permanently, if offenders do not respond to other sanctions.

Teams will tackle hotspots identified by communities.

REPORT IT

Report dog fouling and identify owners who do not clean up after their dogs to Clean Glasgow on 0800 027 7027

Maryhill’s Heritage Restored

We were delighted to take up the offer from the Burgh Hall Project Co-ordinator, Hunter Reid for an early visit to see the progress on restoring the halls and to see the new Heritage Walk publication.

Work is now almost complete in bringing new life into the former Burgh Halls complex at the heart of Maryhill.

The Halls and adjoining former Police Station were purchased by Maryhill Burgh Halls Trust in November 2009, and work started immediately on an ambitious programme of building work.

The Halls will provide the local community with a modern public hall, a cafe and heritage exhibition space, 11 offices, a commercial and community recording studio, nursery, and meeting rooms, situated around a courtyard garden.

The building’s architectural appeal and historic merit is further enhanced by a unique series of twenty stained glass panels depicting the various trades and industries of Maryhill in the late 19th century.

They were designed and manufactured by Stephen Adam, one of the foremost stained glass artists of the time. The panels have been held in storage by Glasgow Museums, and the building restoration will allow a number of them to be conserved and returned to the building.

For more information about the Burgh Halls please visit the Trust’s website at: http://www.maryhillburghhalls.org.uk/

Cleveden Parent Power

Congratulations to Cleveden Parent Council on the success of their bus service for pupils. The bus, run in conjunction with the school, was given a trial run earlier this year and has proved such a success it is hoped it will run for the rest of the school year.

Pupils can pay 75p per single journey. The bus will follow the same route as the service bus i.e. the Acre Road bus. The route to the school is:

8.28 am Acre Road/Maryhill Road/Arrochar Street/ Invershiel Road/Caldercuilt Road / Rothes Drive/ to Cleveden Secondary.

The bus is being funded by the Parent Council and the school.  Ward Councillors were also happy to provide additional funding via Maryhill Kelvin Area Committee.

Glasgow 2014 Fails again

Following the resignation of Glasgow 2014 Chief Executive John Scott a number of questions arose about why he had resigned.

In the absence of official comment the public were left to read in the Herald (01/07/11)

“A spokeswoman declined to comment yesterday on claims that its board acted after receiving a tip-off about Mr Scott’s tax advice from global accountancy firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC).

It was later reported that Mr Scott had been offered up to £6000 of financial advice from PwC. The firm is refusing to confirm or deny it was the firm at the centre of the affair.”

And the failure of Glasgow 2014 to comment further to its original statement only led to further confusion on events.

I wrote to Lord Smith posing a series of questions and he responded by referring me to an investigation being carried out by the Council’s Chief Executive  which would form a report to the Finance & Audit Scrutiny Committee.

 

I asked the Council’s Chief Executive if my questions were indeed to be answered in his report and when advised that they weren’t I went back to Lord Smith. After all having been told by Lord Smith that he expected my concerns to be answered in the Chief Executive’s report surely he wouldn’t mind now answering them directly.

I’m disappointed that he has ignored the advice of Commonwealth Games Federation Chief Executive Mike Hooper who said “The CGF supports the disclosure of the circumstances that led to resignation”.

Letter to Cllr Dingwall – 17.10.11

Instead Lord Smith and Glasgow 2014 still persist in hiding behind a defence of legal advice even though 2014 officers advise that they fully briefed the Scottish Cabinet on the full reasons behind the resignation.

So whilst MSPs can be told the reasons, Councillors and the people of Glasgow who are actually paying for the Games cannot be told.

Audit Scotland are now investigating the governance arrangements for Glasgow 2014, I hope they can get the answers that Lord Smith so clearly doesn’t want  to share.

Maryhill Kelvin Area Committee grants for October 2011

This months area committee has agreed funding bids from the following projects.

John Paul Academy (requested £780)

To deliver an extracurricular programme to compliment delivery around health and well being during the school day and to support children and families to improve their health and well-being.

1 x 4 week block after school parent & pupil cookery

2 x 4 week block after school cookery club for senior students (S3 upwards)

There will also be a Health and Well Being event for parents. The event will include cookery demonstrations and be supported by the North Glasgow Community Food Initiative

North United Communities Ltd (requested 4,703)

Out of hours and Trips project – October 11- March 2012

Out of Hours

To enhance the existing CPP funded youth diversionary activity by providing a base for the friday out of hours service in the Summerston area aimed at engaging young people during peak drinking times. The indoor programme would be held in the Glasgow Club in John Paul Academy and would employ two new sessional staff. The programme would provide two hours of activities, in addition to the existing street work provision provided by the project. The project would work in partnership with Glasgow Life, John Paul Academy and Glasgow Rangers Club. Rangers will provide the cost of in kind coaches to support the out of hours services. The project has engaged with 84 young people and regularly supports up to 25 young people every Friday.

Trips

To provide for those most at risk young people with the opportunity to travel out with their local community and take part in diversionary activities. The project will cover Cadder, Wyndford and Summerston and is aimed at young people participating in alcohol, drugs misuse and violent behaviour within their own communities. The services will focus on young people who do not currently engage with other services. Funds would buy additional sessional staff, outdoor education sessions and activities. It is expected that up to 100 young people will take part.

Maryhill Mobile Crèche (requested £1000)

Maryhill Mobile Crèche has recently developed an After School Care service within Dunard Street School. The project has been successful in fund raising to purchase start up equipment for this new service, but now requires additional play equipment.

Summerston Youth Forum (requested £2,600)

Building bridges in our Community: Funding is being requested to continue providing a needs led service to the young people who attend the Forum on a weekly basis.

New 20mph mandatory zone for Cadder

One of the regular concerns raised by residents is about speeding and the dangers it poses. I’m therefore glad to see that Land and Environmental Services are now carrying out a preliminary consultation on the introduction of a new mandatory 20mph zone in Cadder.

The city’s Health Commission has already stated that there is clear evidence this will save young lives, reduce the severity of injuries and prevent accidents in our neighbourhoods. The measures will also benefit elderly and disabled residents and will help to put a clear emphasis in favour of people rather than the car.

After consultation, and once a traffic order is passed, signs will be placed at each entry and exit point of the new zones. These would be at the entrances into Cadder at Tresta Road and Skirsa Street.

On most of our residential roads, it’s neither safe nor appropriate to drive any faster than 20mph already – many are narrow, or in the case of Cadder, lined with park cars. I hope that the community will welcome this new mandatory zone as a step in the right direction to address traffic concerns in the area. 

And of course I hope the scheme can be rolled out in other areas of the ward as well.