(Wishaw) December 2009

North Lanarkshire News
No.61 December 2009
www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk
North Local Area Partnership edition
Turn to page 5 for your local news
Kilsyth
Abronhill
Cumbernauld
Moodiesburn
Gartcosh
Ravenscraig rises
from the ashes
The shape of things to come
Work on the £31m Ravenscraig Regional Sports
Facility has reached the halfway stage. Contractors
have completed the steel exterior and have started
work on the roof. The facility is expected to open in
autumn 2010.
FULL STORY – PAGE 3
Difficult choices ahead
Tough decisions to
come warns Leader
as council tackles
cash pressures
Wide-ranging savings totalling £15 million have been
approved by our Policy and Resources Committee.
The measures, planned for 2010/11, were due to
be considered by full council as we went to press.
Among the savings approved were:
•
Better management of services and cuts in bureaucracy (£3.8m)
•
Better procurement procedures (£1.6m)
•
Better staff attendance records (£1.63m)
•
Better use and management of property assets (£1.05m)
However, councillors rejected a number of proposals.
These included parking charges across all councilowned public car parks, fees for community alarms
and reducing the Home Support Taper, a discount
enjoyed by clients requiring the service.
A strategy is also being developed to address a cost
reduction of £60 million between 2011 and 2014.
ser vice
an d pe
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Council leader Jim McCabe said: “We have had to
face difficult decisions, and there will be further tough
decisions to take in the next few years.”
firs t
FULL STORY – PAGE 11
2
North Lanarkshire News No. 61, December 2009
Contacting us
Provost’s plaudits
On a more poignant note, many
of my fellow councillors and I
attended various Remembrance
Day memorial services across North
Lanarkshire at the beginning of
November. Councillor Robertson
also attended a Service of
Remembrance at Motherwell
Cathedral for those who have been
killed or wounded in conflicts in
Iraq and Afghanistan.
online
www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk
NorthLine
General enquiries
Punch the Crunch hotline
Environmental services 01698 403200
01698 403150
01698 403110
Bookings
01698 403120
(Bookings for community centres, parks and
the Civic Theatre box office)
Telephone payments
01698 403130
(Accepting payments for council tax and rent)
Antisocial behaviour helpline 01698 403222
Recruitment 01698 403190
(to apply for a job with the council)
First Stop Shops
Airdrie
Coats House, Gartlea Road
Bellshill
26 Motherwell Road
Coatbridge
195 Main Street
Coatbridge
50 Woodside Street
Cumbernauld 2/4 Forth Walk, Town Centre
Harthill
22 Victoria Street
Kilsyth
9 Parkfoot Street
Moodiesburn
17 Blackwoods Crescent
Motherwell
69-71 Merry Street
Shotts
162-164 Station Road
Viewpark
135 Burnhead Street
Wishaw
236 Main Street
First Stop Shops are open 8.45am to 4.45pm,
Monday to Thursday and 8.45am to 4.15pm
Friday. The cash offices within the First Stop
Shops are open Monday to Thursday 9am to
4.30pm and Friday 9am to 4pm. Moodiesburn
cash office closes between 1pm and 2pm.
Contact Northline for details.
NLC emergency out-of-hours
Social work standby services 0800 121 4114
Repair reporting 0800 678 1166
(24 hour service)
Gas & solid fuel central heating faults
(24 hour service)
0845 606 1555
Antisocial Task Force
01236 638580
Other useful numbers
Support and Advice for Independent Living
(SAIL)
01698 338899
SAIL textphone
01698 338925
Benefits fraud hotline
0800 953 0400
Insurance fraud hotline
0800 328 9270
Crimestoppers
0800 555 111
Get in touch!
North Lanarkshire News is your council
newspaper and we’d like to hear your views.
If you have any comments please call 01698
302582, email corporatecommunications@
northlan.gov.uk or write to:
Corporate Communications and Marketing,
North Lanarkshire Council, Civic Centre
Windmillhill Street, Motherwell ML1 1AB
Provost Curley and Councillor James Coyle with pupils and teachers
from St. Dominic’s primary school on their visit to the council
It is always great to meet people of all ages when I am
representing the council. Over the past few weeks,
I have had the pleasure of meeting some of our
young people who have been taking part in a library
reading challenge and one of our older residents who
celebrated his 100th birthday.
A more local event for me was welcoming a group
of children to Chapelhall library to present prizes
for taking part in a Read Around the World reading
challenge. I always enjoy speaking to our younger
residents and the Primary 7 pupils from St Dominic’s
in Airdrie were fantastic visitors when they came
along for a tour of the council headquarters last
month.
The Lord Lieutenant and I had the
honour of being invited along to
the 100th birthday celebrations of
Wishaw resident Andrew MacMillan
at the Netherton Care Home in
Wishaw.
As we approach the end of 2009, I
would like to take the opportunity to wish everyone a
Happy Christmas and best wishes for the New Year.
Councillor Tom Curley
North Lanarkshire Provost
Learning to
last a lifetime
By Gaynor Bell
We’re ‘Raising Achievement for All’. And it’s thanks
to the dedication of staff and young people in our
schools, nurseries and community learning and
development teams.
‘Raising Achievement for All’ provides students
with learning experiences to last a lifetime. Our
performance report highlights some of our best
results:
•
A 30.8% pass rate for fourth year pupils gaining
five or more awards at Credit or Intermediate 2
level – our highest percentage in this area for six
years.
•
The performance of P3 to P7 across all three areas
of reading, writing and mathematics is our best to
date in the primary sector. Our secondary pupils
in S1 and S2 also marked their top performance
in reading and writing.
•
By the end of S5, 19.4% of pupils achieved
three or more awards at Higher Level, with 7.2%
achieving five or more awards at Higher Level
– our best performance in six years.
•
There’s also been an encouraging increase in
the number of qualifications gained by students
who are looked after away from home and
attend our schools. The percentage of fourth year
children attaining SQA awards in both English
and Mathematics at level 3 (Foundation level) or
above (General or Credit level) has increased from
22% in 2005 to 88% in 2009.
•
Vocational qualifications are on the increase.
Over 653 young people succeeded in gaining
vocational qualifications, representing an 86%
pass rate – the highest performance to date.
Councillor Jim Logue, Convener of the Learning
and Leisure Committee said: “We’re proud of the
achievements of our young people. We’re committed
to raising achievement year on year and I’m confident
we can continue to do this.”
www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk
North Lanarkshire News No. 61, December 2009
3
£31m Ravenscraig sports facility taking shape
By Colin Fraser
Work on the impressive new Ravenscraig Regional
Sports Facility has reached the halfway stage. All the
steelworks are now in place and construction on the
roof is underway.
Expected to open in autumn 2010, the facility
will serve the local community as well providing
a training ground for competitive athletes. It will
feature an indoor artificial football pitch, a sports hall,
gymnasium, athletics hall and dance studios as well as
outdoor pitches, which will include a full-size artificial
pitch and six five-a-side pitches.
It will be a key venue for the International Children’s
Games which will be held in Lanarkshire in 2011
and will be used as a training ground for Scottish
sportsmen and women bidding to take part in the
London 2012 Olympics and the Commonwealth
Games in Glasgow in 2014.
Funding came from North Lanarkshire Council and
Ravenscraig Limited with an additional £7.3 million
backing by the Scottish Government, through the
national sports agency sportscotland.
North Lanarkshire Council Leader, Councillor Jim
McCabe said: “On a site renowned for steel making,
it’s very satisfying to watch the structure starting to
take shape.
“Along with the recent opening of the new
Motherwell College campus, this project
demonstrates the commitment of all the partners
involved to realising the vision of creating a new
thriving community at Ravenscraig.”
The multi-use main hall will be home to a full
size indoor football pitch, and can also be
converted into a venue for up to 7,500 people.
Yvonne Murray,
Senior Athletics &
Events Officer at
North Lanarkshire
Leisure and
Council Leader,
Councillor Jim
McCabe.
Steve McDonald, project manager for construction
firm Doig and Smith said: “We are pleased to have
reached this stage of the project still on track, thanks
to the effort and teamwork of all involved and look
forward to a successful delivery.”
When completed, the new facility will be operated
by North Lanarkshire Leisure on behalf of North
Lanarkshire Council.
Read all about it...Kenneth has the X-Factor
Building homes for your future
By Gaynor Bell
covering the period 2009 to 2011,
will:
We’ve just published our new Local
Housing Strategy. This sets out how,
together with other organisations,
we’re helping people in our
communities find affordable, warm
and accessible homes.
•
deliver new build affordable
homes for 400 families;
•
see the first new council homes
built in North Lanarkshire for a
generation;
We aim to meet everyone’s housing
needs and providing real opportunities
for people to find new homes.
•
help around 8,000 people with
adaptations to their homes;
•
help around 2,500 owners
improve their homes;
•
provide independent housing
advice and assistance to around
1,000 people;
•
provide 40 new very sheltered
homes for older people; and
•
improve neighbourhoods in
Gowkthrapple, Forgewood
and Carbrain by providing new
housing for rent and sale.
We face a number of challenges along
the way. These include the current
economic conditions and their impact
on the housing market, homelessness
and the changing make up of our
communities.
Kenneth Gardner, 13, a pupil at Drumpark School in Bargeddie shows off his
X-Box 360 games console after winning a prize draw for taking part in the
hugely successful Read Around the World reading challenge.
More than 3,300 children took part in the Library Services challenge, which
saw the participants read and report back on 24 separate books, magazines
and internet sites.
To meet these challenges we’ll work
with our partners to build more
affordable housing, improve the
quality of existing houses, tackle
homelessness and make homes more
accessible for people with specific
needs. By delivering good quality
housing and services we’re also
building better neighbourhoods.
Specifically, the interim strategy,
To find out more, contact the housing
strategy team on 01698 274139 or
visit the council’s website at
www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk.
4
North Lanarkshire News No. 61, December 2009
National recognition for
our museums collection
By Colin Fraser
North Lanarkshire’s proud industrial heritage of iron,
steel, coal and engineering has been recognised as
nationally significant by Museums Galleries Scotland.
The council’s fascinating social history collection
provides an important record of the impact of
industrialisation on Scottish society. Key categories of
material include objects relating to the Co-operative
movement, friendly societies, political reform,
education, leisure, culture and identity.
Museums Galleries Scotland manage the Recognition
Scheme on behalf of the Scottish Government and
aims to identify collections of national significance
held in Scotland’s museums and galleries.
Councillor Jim Logue,
Convener of Learning and
Leisure Services, was delighted
with the award. He said: “It
confirms North Lanarkshire’s
industrial history collection as
among the most significant in
the country. “Our museums are very
popular and Summerlee
Museum of Industrial
Life recently celebrated
welcoming over 200,000
visitors since it reopened last year after a £10 million
refurbishment.”
Featured among the
North Lanarkshire
collection is the
development of the iron
and steel industries in
Scotland during the 19th
and 20th centuries.
And a comprehensive
collection of mining tools
and equipment depicts
the history of the great
Lanarkshire coalfields.
The Summerlee Museum of Industrial Life is one of the venues for North
Lanarkshire’s impressive collection of historical artefacts. The museum is open
seven days a week from from 10am to 4pm during the winter. Admission is free.
Scotland’s great
engineering heritage is
well represented through
products and tools from local firms, including the
Cardowan Colliery winding engine and an Anderson
Boyes coal cutter.
‘Our industrial history collection is among
the most significant in the country’ A unique collection of spade forging equipment,
boiler making equipment and artefacts illustrates the
diversity of Scottish ingenuity and industrial enterprise.
Records relating to mineral leases, former burghs and
Cumbernauld Development Corporation chart the
fascinating development of Scottish society from rural,
to industrial and now to a post-industrial society.
Bellshill keeps it
in the family
After the success of last year’s roundabout
advertising programme, we have increased the list
of sites to include even more of North Lanarkshire’s
busy roundabouts, giving you more opportunity to
reach potential customers.
If you have ever wondered about your ancestors’ lives
and where you came from, our new Family History
Centre could help unlock your past.
The centre is located at 20/22 Motherwell Road in
Bellshill within the Area Registration Office and is
open Mondays to Fridays from 9.30am to 12.30pm
and 1.30pm to 4pm.
Our team of registration staff can help you build up
a picture of your family’s background by searching
statutory records of Scottish births, deaths and
marriages from 1855; census records from 1841 to
1901; divorce records from 1984; and old parish
records from 1538 to 1854.
“We have seen a real increase in the number of
people who request birth, death and marriage
certificates relating to their ancestors recently,” Nancy
Carers of Recognised Collections currently have the
opportunity to bid for up to £40,000 of Recognition
funding to undertake a project that will increase
accessibility to their collections and improve how they
are looked after.
Our roundabout advertising
programme is back
By Fiona Shaw
The centre gives internet access to family records
from the 1800s and the Scotland’s People website,
one of the largest online sources of genealogical
information with almost 80 million records. Specialist
software is also available to draw your family tree.
Douglas Connell, Chair of the Recognition
Committee, which oversees the recognition of
collections of national significance, said: “To achieve
Recognition status, applicants must demonstrate the
uniqueness, authenticity, comprehensiveness, and
national value of their collection. It is a marvellous
accomplishment and I would like to congratulate
those involved in attaining Recognition status for
these collections. ”
With prices as low as £300 + VAT for a full year, you
can’t afford not to take advantage of some of the
great locations we can now offer.
Making history in Bellshill: registration staff Linda
McInally, Karen Munro, and Nancy Gentleman.
Gentleman, from our registration team, explains.
“Many people are keen to find out about their
relatives, where they came from and what they did.
As well as knowing more about individuals, tracing
your family tree can also give you an insight into the
history of a particular place and learn what life was
like for people living in a certain period.
“We can even produce a unique personal history book
by researching your ancestors for you and creating
a special memento that includes your family photos
and documents.”
Graeme Eadie of Caber Installations, the
Cumbernauld-based kitchen, bathroom and
bedroom fitter bought space last year. He said:
“I didn’t have to think twice about renewing my
roundabout advertising contract for another year.
It’s a difficult time for any business – we need to
save money but we need to make sure we continue
to advertise. The roundabouts offer a really good
value alternative to more traditional advertising
methods and are a great way to reach potential
customers.”
Not every roundabout is suitable for advertising,
but if there’s one that you’re interested in that’s not
on this list, let us know. We’ll let you know if it’s
possible and how much it would cost. You can find
details of all the available roundabouts, and their
prices, on our website. We update this information
daily so you can see what’s still available.
North Lanarkshire News No. 61, December 2009
Wishaw Local Area Partnership
Wishaw Local Area Partnership
Wishaw Local Area Partnership
Shotts
Cleland
Harthill
Coltness
Wishaw
Newmains
New beginning for Gowkthrapple
Work starts on
Community Hub
By Fiona Shaw
The focal point for the regeneration of Gowkthrapple
has started to take shape.
Work has started on the £2.4 million Community
Hub in Smith Avenue. When it opens in early 2011,
residents and local groups will be able to enjoy a
range of facilities including multi-purpose meeting
rooms, a retail outlet and community café. It will also
include offices for staff from the council’s housing
services and the Garrion People’s Housing Cooperative (GPHC).
Representatives of the partners involved were on hand
to celebrate the start of construction.
The project to design and build the hub has been
led by GPHC, in partnership with the community
and North Lanarkshire Council. It is a key part of
the council’s multi-million pound masterplan for the
regeneration of Gowkthrapple. When completed, the
hub will be owned and managed by GPHC.
Councillor Tom Maginnis, Convener of Regeneration,
said: “I am delighted to see work start on
Gowkthrapple Community Hub, which will create
a first class facility for everyone living and working
here. We listened to local people’s ideas for what
should be included in the hub, and I believe it
will be the centrepiece for the area, linking the
housing, greenspace, schools and local services, and
encouraging a sense of community spirit.
ABOVE: Councillor John Pentland joins David
Cooper, chair of Garrion People’s Housing Cooperative and pupils from Castlehill and St
Thomas’ primary schools to mark the start of work
on the Community Hub.
About your LAP
“Along with the new housing, we can now start to
see real evidence of the masterplan and our shared
vision for the area.”
Community planning in North Lanarkshire
is delivered through the area’s six Local Area
Partnerships (LAPs) – North Area (including
Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and the surrounding
villages); Coatbridge and district; Airdrie and
district; Wishaw and district; Bellshill and district,
and Motherwell and district.
As part of the masterplan, tenants moved into the first
phase of houses in May and a further 30 homes for
sale and rent will be available soon. There are plans
to develop the road and street network to improve
transport links for pedestrians, public transport,
vehicles and cyclists; while ideas for improving the
existing community park and other greenspace
projects, such as creating allotments, are being
discussed.
A grant of £835,000 from Big Lottery’s Growing
Community Assets Fund was received for the project,
with other funding supplied by North Lanarkshire
Council, GPHC and the Scottish Government’s Vacant
and Derelict Land Fund.
The key members of the partnership are North
Lanarkshire Council, Strathclyde Police, Strathclyde
Fire & Rescue, NHS Lanarkshire, the community
forums and local elected members.
ABOVE: An artist’s impressions of the new hub.
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The LAP makes decisions on a wide range of
issues including community safety, environmental
improvements and town centre redevelopments.
The body reflects the overall strategic objectives of
the North Lanarkshire Partnership.
6
North Lanarkshire News No. 61, December 2009
Local Development Programme
Popular school route improved
Improvements at Stane
Gardens, Shotts
A popular walking route for schoolchildren in Wishaw
has been transformed, making it a safer and more
pleasant journey to school.
Ryde Lane in Wishaw is well used by pupils at both St
Aidan’s and Coltness high schools and Lammermoor
Primary School.
The lane was poorly lit as the lighting was out of date
and some of the columns had been vandalised.
The stone wall, which runs along the length of the
lane, was in poor condition, with some sections of the
wall missing and replaced with metal fencing.
There was also a drainage problem in one section of
the lane which was frequently flooded and sometimes
impassable.
£85,000 has been spent in
Stane Gardens as part of the
Local Development Programme
for 2009/10. The following
improvements have been made
in the area:
However, following consultation with local residents
and the police, new lighting has been
installed which is taller and brighter
making the lane more visible and safer.
The stone wall has also been repaired,
with the gaps filled in and copes
replaced. The wall has also been cleaned.
Local residents are delighted with the
improvements and we have received
many telephone calls to say thanks for
undertaking this work.
•
TOP: Ryde Lane after
improvements to lighting
and the stone wall.
A stepped path at Stane Gardens has been
removed as it was unsafe and attracting antisocial
behaviour. It has been replaced with a new one
further along the embankment.
•
RIGHT: Ryde Lane before
the improvements.
A new path has been laid, which links to the path
that leads to Manse Road.
•
Improvements to the path network within the
gardens have also taken place.
•
An old stone wall, in poor condition, has been
removed and the ground will be regraded.
•
Defensive forestry planting is being installed
to provide a natural barrier for the residents of
Station Road who have experienced vandalism
and antisocial behaviour.
•
The lowest branches of existing trees will be
pruned and there will be some new tree planting.
Tackling antisocial behaviour in Pather
In a bid to tackle antisocial problems, environmental
improvements have been made in the area around
the Railway Bridge at Hospital Road in Pather.
The hedgerow has been cut back, making the area
more visible, and it is therefore harder for people to
upset local residents.
On the approach to the bridge, plants have been cut
back to improve the appearance of the area, and litter
and dumped materials have been removed.
Screen planting will be installed next to the railway
line and nearby houses.
Claire Street after
the improvements
works.
“Unfortunately this area has become subject to a
significant amount of antisocial behaviour,” said
Pauline Nicholas, Senior Local Regeneration Manager.
“People were gathering in this area and causing a
nuisance to local residents. Litter had been thrown on
to the railway tracks, causing obstructions to trains
and posing a danger.”
“The area had become badly overgrown – in
particular the hedgerow along the length of the
border between Hospital Road and the Dimsdale
Crescent Amenity Area – all of which needed to be
tidied up. This project has achieved that.”
Funding has been approved to continue these
projects at Stane Gardens as part of the Local
Development Programme, and will be delivered in
early 2010.
Claire Street, Newmains, gets a facelift
The area of open space at Claire Street,
Newmains, has had an extensive makeover for
the benefit of local residents.
Pauline Nicholas, Senior Local Regeneration
Manger for Wishaw, said: “This area had
become a bit neglected over the years so we’ve
made significant improvements and
I’m sure everyone will be pleased
with the results.”
Overgrown vegetation has been cut
back and new shrubs and trees have
been planted.
before
Three concrete garage bases have
been removed and two of the paths have been
resurfaced with a new set of steps and handrail
installed on one. The gradient of the second
path has also been improved.
The third stepped path has been cleaned and
an additional section of handrail has been fitted.
And the existing handrail has been cleaned and
painted.
A new lighting column has been installed to
improve visibility and safety of pedestrians
going to or from Manse Road.
www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk
North Lanarkshire News No. 61, December 2009
7
Shotts
partnership working
Cleland
Harthill
Coltness
Wishaw
Newmains
Community policing – one year on
Public backs new
crime initiative
By Mark Barbieri
One year on from the introduction of community
policing teams, people across North Lanarkshire are
feeling more confident that the police are tackling
local crime problems.
That’s the view of more than 1,700 residents
following a survey conducted by Strathclyde Police
North Lanarkshire Division.
Community Policing Plans, one for each of North
Lanarkshire’s 20 multi-member wards were
introduced in late 2008 and shaped by consultation
with local residents. By listening to your concerns
at various public meetings and forums, the police
identified three key priorities for each ward. Thanks
to funding from North Lanarkshire Council and the
Scottish Government, 176 community police officers
now operate in teams across North Lanarkshire to
work on these priorities.
‘Research shows that people have
confidence that we are tackling crime’
Communities now enjoy more foot and cycle patrols,
dedicated phone lines and email boxes and there is
increased attendance at community meetings and
events. These have all enhanced the visibility and
accessibility of community police officers in their
local area. And this is reflected in the survey with the
number of people stating that they are aware of the
community policing teams increasing from 37% in
2007 to 66% in 2009.
Chief Superintendent Graeme Cairns said:
“Community policing is all about engaging with local
people and understanding what the issues are in their
area.
Working together
to improve
community safety
The partnership approach to improving community
safety across North Lanarkshire continues to prove
successful.
The Tasking and Coordinating initiative was
launched in 2008 and sees the council and partner
agencies such as the police, fire and rescue and NHS
Lanarkshire meeting every four weeks to discuss
how to manage resources to help increase public
reassurance and reduce antisocial behaviour and the
fear of crime.
“We’ve developed our plans in response to what
people have told us. And it can vary depending on
the area. Residents in one community may tell us that
‘Drug use and drug dealing’ is a priority, in another
it may be ‘antisocial behaviour’. What we will do,
together with our community planning partners, is
match services to people – put the right people in the
right places at the right times.
“I’m particularly pleased that our recent research
shows that people understand what our priorities are
and have confidence that we are tackling crime in
their area.
“In the longer term, we plan to spend more time
understanding the factors that cause local crime. We
would also like to provide more detailed information
These meetings take place in the six Local Area
Partnership areas and are chaired by the Local
Regeneration Managers.
Senior Local Regeneration Manager Pauline Nicholas
explains how the partnership approach has been
working in Wishaw and district. She said: “One
example of this in the Wishaw and district area
resulted in the overall decrease in youth disorder in
the areas of Cleland and Gowkthrapple.
“The partners worked together with local
police patrols to address these issues.
Police patrols were reviewed to meet
the demands in the areas and redeployable CCTV cameras were
installed at Main Street, Cleland for a
six-month period. This allowed closer
monitoring of the situation, which was
a real concern to local residents.
about our work on the police website and give people
more of a right to reply using local mechanisms like
community forums and surgeries.”
Gavin Whitefield, Chief Executive of North Lanarkshire
Council, added: “I am delighted with the changes
made to improve local community policing and
the obvious benefits this brings to the residents of
North Lanarkshire. The partnership work carried
out with the police has resulted in a fall in antisocial
behaviour within our communities and helps our local
community safety sub groups with their priorities.”
To find out more about community policing in your
area, visit the Strathclyde Police website at
www.strathclyde.police.uk.
“In Gowkthrapple, a six-week ‘Gowkthrapple’s Great’
campaign was launched. This involved partners
and the community working together to reduce
the negative impact on the estate and the high
numbers of empty properties. Across the community
there was a feeling of increased public confidence
with high-visibility policing and various open days
involving the council and other services to meet
residents and talk to them about their issues.
“And as part of next year’s Local
Development Programme budget,
environmental improvements will be
delivered to help reduce antisocial
behaviour and provide reassurance to
our local residents.“
Find out more by contacting the
community police officer at your local
police station.
8
North Lanarkshire News No. 61, December 2009
WISHAW community matters
Children enjoy new play area in Carbarns Restoring pride in
a local landmark
Cambusnethan’s long-neglected medieval churchyard
has received a funding boost.
Following a proposal from the Wishaw, Shotts
and Murdostoun Community Forum, the Local
Area Partnership has committed £15,000 to carry
out improvements to the site, including clearing
overhanging trees and renovating pathways.
Local children Michaela Crum, Derek and Aaron Chen, and Louise Irving enjoy the new play area.
A fun new play area has opened at Carbarns Road in
Wishaw.
Over £35,000 has been spent on the new area, which
includes swings, two multiplay units, a roundabout,
two springers, a pod swing and a tightrope balancing
circuit.
“Local residents were asked what they wanted in
the area and they told us that a play area was one of
their priorities,” explained Pauline Nicholas, Senior
Regeneration Manager. “They wanted somewhere
safe and fun to take their children and they are
delighted with the new facility.”
Progress continues
on school building
programme
Schools and Centres 21 is the council’s £250 million
programme to modernise the school estate and,
where appropriate, incorporate new community
facilities.
There are currently 10 projects underway across
North Lanarkshire. This involves five secondary
schools, five primary schools, three Additional
Support Needs (ASN) schools, a nursery centre, two
community centres and a cultural centre.
Most of these projects are new builds with some
being a mixture of new build and full refurbishment.
The development was identified for improvement as
part of Wishaw’s Local Development Programme for
2009/10.
The area where the new play facility now sits was
previously a tarmac surface, which was in poor
condition. The tar was breaking up and there was
grass and moss growing up through and on it.
The play equipment, including safety surfacing
and fencing around the play equipment, has been
installed on behalf of Play Services by the council’s
Estates Maintenance team.
Three exciting school projects are planned for Wishaw
and Shotts:
•
In Coltness, planning approval has been given for
the major modernisation of Coltness High School.
Site preparation work has already started and the
temporary classrooms are in place.
•
The pre-planning consultation has already taken
place for the new primary school which will
replace Coltness and Lammermoor primary
schools. This project also includes Coltness
Community Centre and will a full new build
on the existing Coltness Primary School site is
proposed.
•
In Shotts, pre-planning consultation has
also taken place for the proposed new build
Calderhead High School on its existing site.
Everyone is working hard towards achieving a site
start next year.
Forum Chair Owen McAvoy said: “The churchyard
at Cambusnethan, much like the derelict church
itself, has fallen in to a terrible state of repair over the
years. The forum felt that it had to act to protect local
residents before the site became a real hazard.
“We’re delighted that the partnership has provided
this funding boost as the church and its grounds is of
great historic significance to the area.
“We now plan to source external funding to renovate
the ruined church and hope that at some point in the
future it can once again be a source of civic pride.”
For more information about the project, call
Community Engagement Officer Stephen Brown on
01698 302 535 or email [email protected].
“This is the second
phase of development
for the area’s schools
and follows on from
the Education 2010
PPP programme
which delivered
24 new schools to
North Lanarkshire,”
explained Convener
of Learning and
Leisure Services,
Councillor Jim Logue.
“Unlike the previous school building
programme, which was paid for using a Public Private
Partnership funding arrangement, all of the funding
for Schools and Centres 21 comes directly from
council money which has been set aside for these
much needed improvements.”
www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk
North Lanarkshire News No. 61, December 2009
Council supports charity
initiative homeless people
9
The shape of things to come
We’re developing our partnership work with church
congregations of all denominations to help tackle
homelessness across the area.
We’ve awarded funding of almost £10,000, for two
financial years, to assist the positive work of Scottish
Churches Housing Action (SCHA). This charitable
voluntary organisation promotes practical responses
to homelessness across Scotland.
And through the SCHA’s well-established Churches
Homelessness Initiatives Programme, it wants to
further develop local support.
It also aims to raise awareness of the nature of
homelessness locally, outline the real difference
church congregations can make and look at what
activities can be delivered.
“The next phase of our work is bringing people in
the churches together to learn about homelessness
locally,” explained Alastair Cameron, SCHA Chief
Executive.
“One idea for practical action is starter packs
– collecting donations of good quality second hand
household necessities and getting them to people
who have virtually nothing.
“There is real potential for church congregations to
make a difference to the area’s homeless people.”
Collect your £15
Christmas gift
Fifty pupils from from Caldervale High School in Airdrie helped launch the Make Your Mark Challenge
in Scotland, the UK’s largest one-day enterprise competition. The pupils, who were winners of the
competition in 2007 and 2008, formed the chemical symbol of carbon dioxide (CO), to officially launch
the competition, reflecting the theme of this year’s challenge ‘Don’t be a Carbon Copy’.
‘Open to change’ theme of this year’s tenant conference
If you are over 60 and live in North Lanarkshire,
the council will give you a special Christmas gift of
£15 this year.
Over 160 tenants from across the area came
together for our annual tenant conference. Held in
Airdrie Academy, the conference had something for
everyone.
There are a number of ways to collect your gift.
You can call into your local First Stop Shop (details
on page two) on the following days:
The theme of this year’s event – ‘We’re open to
Change’ – focused on some of the recent changes
that have taken place in housing.
Saturday, 21 November, 9.30am – 2pm
Saturday, 28 November, 9.30am – 2pm
Saturday, 5 December, 9.30am – 2pm
Mon. to Thurs., 7 – 10 December, 9.30am – 4pm
There were workshops, speakers and a market place
offering a wide range of information. And a first
screening of our DVD looked at the achievements of
our tenants’ groups.
In addition, you can collect your gift from Monday
7 December to Thursday 10 December at:
“Each year our conference seems to get bigger
and better,” explained Councillor Barry McCulloch,
Convener of the Housing and Social Work Services
Committee. “The event is a real highlight and a
fantastic opportunity to speak first hand to some
of our tenants. It’s been a very positive year for the
housing service and we’re committed to continuing
to deliver our services to a high standard.”
Bellshill Registration Office, 20 Motherwell Road,
9am – 12.30pm and 1.30pm – 4pm
Stepps Primary School and Cultural Centre, 10
Blenheim Avenue, 9am – 2.30pm
Or on Wednesday 9 December at:
Harthill Senior Citizens Centre, West Main Street,
10am – 12.30pm and 1.30pm – 4pm
Auchinloch Public Hall, Langmuirhead Road,
9.15am – 2.15pm
To collect your gift, you must prove your age and
address. To prove your age, we will accept your
passport, birth certificate or driving licence; and
for your address, a council tax bill, heating bill or
letter from the Pension Service.
Encouraging tenants to play a greater role in shaping
housing services is a key priority for the council
and our new Tenant Participation Strategy explains
just how. Our new strategy was outlined at the
conference.
One feature of this new strategy is a diary of
participation and consultation opportunities. This has
been developed for the coming year and lets tenants
see the range of ways, formal and informal, that they
can get involved.
At the conference, tenants had the opportunity to
feed into the diary and highlight any topics they
would like to see included in this.
Robert Arthur Chairperson of NL Federation enjoyed
the event. He said: ”The best part for me was the
DVD Open to Change – it was an exciting DVD,
which really showed the great work done across the
board by tenants and residents and the council, all
working together. The conference itself was more
tenant-focused than ever which made it the best one
yet.”
We’re also looking at how tenants can become
involved through the North Lanarkshire Federation.
The Federation has its own conference, four open
meetings each year, training events, surveys and
questionnaires and focus groups.
If you would like to get involved then visit the
federation website at www.northlanarkshirefederation.
org.uk or call Laura Lindsay 01698 274143.
10
North Lanarkshire News No. 61, December 2009
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During November
Get flu jab if eligible. Invites
are sent out by GPs to over 65s,
carers and ‘at risk’ groups.
23 – 27 November
Order double repeat
prescriptions to cover Christmas
and New Year.
30 November –
4 December
Make appointment
with GP or nurse for
any planned follow ups
needed before Christmas.
14 – 18 December
Stock up your home
medicine cabinet with
paracetemol or ibuprofen.
For more home remedies
ask your pharmacist or
visit www.nhs24.com
25 – 28 December
& 1 – 4 January
Remember GP surgeries are
closed on these days. They
are open 29 – 31 December.
Keep the NHS 24 number
(08454 24 24 24) handy.
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www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk
North Lanarkshire News No. 61, December 2009
11
BUDGET SPECIAL
Have your say
on our schools
Parents and local people will have a
say in the future of four local primary
schools.
The schools – Belvidere Primary
in Bellshill, Gartsherrie Primary,
Coatbridge, St Matthew’s Primary,
Wishaw and St Francis of Assisi in
Cumbernauld – have been earmarked
as candidates for closure.
In each case the school roll has
fallen dramatically in recent years
and education officials believe the
children would be better served
being taught in larger schools
offering wider facilities.
Council takes steps to
protect frontline services
By Sam Clarke
A raft of efficiency savings across our
services has been given the go-ahead
by the Policy and Resources Committee.
The top-to-bottom measures, which
will save up to £15 million in the
financial year 2010/11, are aimed at
minimising impact on frontline services
as North Lanarkshire Council comes to
terms with budget reductions imposed
in the wake of the credit crunch and a
reduction in the Scottish Government
allocation.
The multi-million pound package was
due to be considered further by the full
council as we went to press.
Speaking after the meeting, council
Chief Executive Gavin Whitefield said:
“The aim of the measures is to minimise
impact on frontline services while
maintaining North Lanarkshire Council’s
excellent record of efficiency, which
has allowed more than £55 million to
be invested in vital local services over
recent years and ensured we put service
and people first in everything we do.”
Money-saving measures range from a
new collaborative contract through the
Scotland-wide local authority buying
group Scotland Excel, which will cut the
school exercise book bill by £20,000, to
a saving of £149,000 by reducing grass
cutting of large areas from weekly to
fortnightly.
Council vacancies will be reviewed
along with temporary contracts and
compulsory redundancies will be
avoided.
A number of income generation
options, including a reduction of the
home safety service and reviews of
school cleaning provision, which could
have raised as much as £1.4 million,
were also rejected because of the
impact they would have had on local
businesses and residents.
‘We have had to face difficult decisions, and there will be
further tough decisions to take in the next few years’
Where some posts are deleted, there
may be opportunities for affected
members of staff to transfer to other
departments with appropriate training.
A series of options amounting to more
than £2 million of reductions was
rejected by the committee.
It had been suggested
that a change in schools
cleaning procedures might
save around £320,000,
while a review of
the rare breeds
animal collection at
Palacerigg Country
Park would have
trimmed £60,000
from the
budget.
Instead the committee approved
additional proposals, including a drive
to improve workforce attendance
leading to a projected saving of £1.63
million.
Further savings will be achieved
through a review of council property
costs, closures and leasing
arrangements.
Council Leader Jim
McCabe said: “We have
had to face difficult
decisions, and there
will be further tough
decisions to take in
the next few years.
“However, we
are committed
to protecting
At present, there are 8,000 empty
primary places throughout the
council area – the equivalent of 20
schools.
The Belvidere consultation period
ends on 11 December, with the
remainder ending on 15 January,
2010.
If you’d like to be part of the
consultation, please write to
Learning & Leisure Services,
Municipal Buildings, Kildonan Street,
Coatbridge ML5 3BT stating your
school.
Alternatively, you can find out more
on the council website,
www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk.
services as much as possible and to
looking after the most vulnerable in our
society.
“We will continue to do everything we
can to ensure that these aims are met.”
North Lanarkshire Council, in common
with every Scottish local authority, is
facing at least four years of budget
reductions.
Initially officials had believed around
£10 million of savings would be
required during 2010/11; however,
as the depth of the recession and the
financial effects of the banking sector
rescue became more apparent, it was
soon clear an extra £5 million would be
required.
In addition to the £15 million efficiency
savings next year, the council is
expected to make budget reductions
totalling around £60 million in the
following three years to 2014.
12
North Lanarkshire News No. 61, December 2009
Greenhead Moss
goes greener
By Joan Grady
Visitors to Greenhead Moss Community Nature Park
in recent months might be forgiven for thinking
there was some very organised fly-tipping going on,
given the appearance of piles of old tyres, battered
cans and rubble.
Closer inspection, however, shows that in fact every
single one of these items is being put to good use in
the construction of one of the most forward-looking
buildings in the West of Scotland – the Greenhead
Moss Earthship.
Designed to be completely self-sustaining, an
earthship is a building made from recycled and
reused materials including tyres, bottles, reclaimed
soil and building rubble.
The original idea came from American architect
Michael Reynolds from New Mexico, who wanted
to design and build a ‘carbon free’ building that
worked without the need of any outside services.
Based on this original concept, the Greenhead Moss
earthship will not only create an environmentallyresponsible building, but also raise awareness of
how wasteful our ordinary lives can be.
“Working or living in an earthship is not very different
from working or living in other buildings, but makes
you more aware of energy consumption and the
power of the sun and earth,” said Ann McKillop, who
works with the council’s Environmental Services and is
leading the Earthship project.
The earthship at Greenhead Moss is being constructed from thousands of tyres and other recycled
material. INSET PICTURE: The shell of the earthship.
“They’re simple designs and easy to build – ours is
largely being built using volunteer labour. To date
we’ve had about 500 volunteer working days on
site, and it’s really starting to take shape. When
it’s finished, it’ll be our visitor centre and an office
for staff and volunteers as well as a meeting room,
training centre and environmental education centre
for schools and community groups.
“In the meantime, anyone who would like to know
more about its construction, or who would like to
get involved with the build, can sign on to www.
greenheadmoss.org.uk or find Greenhead Moss
Earthship Builders on Facebook.”
Whitelees Primary scoops award for best green school
By Colin Fraser
Whitelees Primary in Abronhill was named Best Green
School at the Scottish Green Awards in October.
The judges were impressed with the sustainable
policies and activities already well embedded at the
school.
Nick Horler, Chief Executive of sponsors ScottishPower,
congratulated the school for its “proactive approach
in spreading the green message in its community.”
Head Teacher, Ann Kay, who collected the award,
said: “Although young, our pupils are very aware
of the plight and injustices facing others across the
world and the threats facing local communities and
the planet.
“From the smallest act of picking up a piece of litter
to linking and supporting children globally and
connecting lives around the world, they are very
aware that they can make a difference and they try to
do just that.”
Teachers and pupils are already working towards its
fourth Green Flag and each class takes responsibility
for an environmental activity – from bird feeding and
tending the vegetable patch to picking up litter.
The youngsters’ credentials extend beyond helping
their local environment as they have also been fundraising to help less privileged children across the
globe.
So far the school has achieved the Fair Trade award
for the work carried out in this area and pupils have
worked closely with the Scottish Catholic International
Aid Fund to develop an understanding of global
poverty, trade issues and human rights.
Pupil from Whitelees Primary School show off
their green credentials.