As announced in the August 2018 issue of the Blane Valley Bulletin, Strathblane Community Council used a “participation request” under the Community Empowerment Act to work with Stirling Council to use a modest allocation of funds to improve road, street lighting and footway maintenance, with a focus on road safety. A short life working group was formed which has met to develop an action plan.
Limited funds are available, but two particular measures are now proposed to improve safety of pedestrians and vehicle users at two of the long-standing danger spots identified by the community over several years. As the budget for these measures is in the current financial year, the measures were presented at the January meeting of the Community Council and approved in principle. They will be made with bolted-in components, so that they can be reversed, if problems arise, or if grander schemes are enabled in future!
1: A81 Outside Village Club: single file traffic with pedestrian island
A81 Pedestrian Island Proposal Jan 2019 – VIEW LARGER
This proposal provides single file traffic on the straight hill outside the Village Club, with priority to traffic heading north. Traffic heading downhill gives way. A traffic island with pedestrian space is provided by the steps to the Village Club. Hatched areas provide space also for vehicles exiting Wester Leddriegreen Road.
Safety is improved for users of the Village Club, Bowling Club, Tennis Club, and of the footpaths leading to the Kirkhouse Estate. Visibility for all users is improved, where the crossing and vehicle exits are currently felt to be very dangerous.
As the budget for these measures is in the current financial year, the measures were presented at the January meeting of the Community Council and approved in principle. The traffic island is a bolt-down structure, meaning that it can be removed, in case the measure is judged unsuccessful, and/or something grander is proposed.
2: Traffic Island on A891 Campsie Road outside Strathblane Kirk
A891 Traffic Island Proposal Jan 2019 – VIEW LARGER
This proposal provides a central traffic island on the straight hill between the Strathblane Kirk and the Manse.
This is another area where speeding is rife and the crossing for children and adults is currently felt to be very dangerous.
As the budget for these measures is in the current financial year, the measures were presented at the January meeting of the Community Council and approved in principle. The traffic island is a bolt-down structure, meaning that it can be removed, in case the measure is judged unsuccessful, and/or something grander is proposed.
The next meeting of Strathblane Community Council will be on 7 January. The agenda is
AGENDA
1. Welcome from the Chair
2. Apologies and declarations of interest
3. Police Report
4. Minutes of December meeting and matters arising (Draft minutes from the December meeting are online here)
5. Feedback from Participation Meeting on Road Safety
6. Elected Member’s Report
7. Planning and Licensing
8. Community Comments
9. AOB
Neighbourhoods Model of Care: Update. The team now meets monthly in Balfron but there are still discussions about the most appropriate base. The idea is for the team to be self-managing but so far, the Joint Board has been unable to recruit a Team Coach to help them. Ian Denvir has been appointed as the resource worker and will take up the post soon.
Community Pharmacy Initiative: All pharmacies are being encouraged to become dementia friendly. The Health Board has provided a checklist for them to audit the premises. They also have to have a consulting space in which to offer advice and treatments for a variety of minor illnesses and injuries. Pharmacies also offer a stop smoking service for up to 12 weeks to all aged 12 years and over. They also can prescribe the morning after pill to those aged 13 years if the pharmacist has completed the child protection training. There is a very helpful leaflet describing the services at the pharmacy, our local surgery and in the
Anticipatory Care Planning.: We were shown the Care Plan booklet and all are encouraged to complete one in discussion with family, friends and GPs. The Staff can arrange to visit to help with this and to discuss what support is needed. They can be reached on the ALFY number and this is now a single point of contact for ALFY and the District Nurses. The staff are able to visit Primary Schools to talk to P5, P6 and P7 pupils, often a good way to get messages out to the community.
Dementia Friendly Communities: There is now a Stirling Dementia Plan which we will hear more about at the next meeting.
The community council is excited to learn about Blane Valley Bikes: a Cycling Advocacy Social Enterprise start up based in Strathblane & Blanefield, Stirling, United Kingdom aimed at improving inclusion and participation in safer cycling for children and adults of all ages who live in, visit and explore the Strathblane Community.
Want to know more? Drop in and say hi at one of our free events
* Watch the Glasgow2018 European Championships live on TV
* Coffee & cake
* Safe bike parking indoors
* Zwift virtual indoor cycling demo
* Watch bike racing on TV
* Bike repair stands, tools & accessories
* Donated kids & adults bikes
* Bike trailers, cargo bikes & kids bike seats
* Guest appearance by downhill Strava KOM for “Stair Crazy” (aka Danny’s Brae)!
Transport Disruption information from Stirling Council
On Wednesday 8 August, there are two cycle time trials – the women’s race in the morning and the men’s race in the afternoon. The women’s route doesn’t enter the Stirling Council area but the men’s race, in the afternoon, carries on up the A81 and into the Stirling Council area as far as Strathblane and then turns right onto the A891 in the direction of Lennoxtown.
Closure of the A81 north of Milngavie will start around 09:00 and will be lifted from around 17:00 onwards.
The timing of the closure has huge implications for public transport. During the closure, buses operating between Balfron and Milngavie will have to divert via the B834, A809, B8050 and B8030, missing out the south end of Killearn and the villages of Blanefield and Strathblane. To maintain a service to these communities, Stirling Council is providing a shuttle service conveying passengers between Strathblane, Blanefield and Killearn, to connect there with the diverted service buses.
Buses will terminate at Milngavie Station. Passengers to and from Glasgow will have to change to and from trains at Milngavie Station, as roads between there and Glasgow are closed for a much longer period.
If you need any information direct from the event organisers (Glasgow City Council), the contact details are: e-mail GetReadyGlasgow@glasgow.gov.uk , tel. 0141-287 1118.
