Kirkintilloch’s Initiative to Move Ahead

14 Jan 2005

Board Members of Kirkintilloch’s Initiative (KI) have rejected MP John Lyon’s requests to set up a task force for Kirkintilloch. The move comes shortly before engineering work on one of KI’s key projects is about to start.

Kirkintilloch’s Initiative - a partnership between the Council, the Greater Glasgow NHS Trust and the community - announced in autumn 2004 that work was starting on the implementation of the £56 million regeneration package. Engineering work at the leisure centre site will start later this month following a review of the design in consultation with community representatives. The main works will start on the ground in the Summer of this year.

The Kirkintilloch Link Road has now received outline planning permission and the masterplan for the housing in Woodilee has also been submitted. This includes details of the types and density of houses, surrounding amenities and community areas. The masterplan was submitted to East Dunbartonshire Council’s planning department on 14 January 2005 and is available to the public

Kirkintilloch’s Initiative has been greatly influenced by the community. Each project has a community representative and project champion who has worked closely with the community listening to their concerns, ideas and making sure projects will meet the needs of local people.

As a direct result of consultation with local people a number of proposals for Kirkintilloch’s Initiative were changed from the original masterplan. This includes:
• The Arts and Culture Centre being doubled in size and moved to the heart of the redeveloped leisure and business area at Southbank
• The position of the Kirkintilloch Link Road being moved to reduce its impact on local residents
• Proposals for the development of a supermarket at Woodhead Park being dropped
• Development of the leisure centre, the link road, arts and culture centre and town centre access and parking strategy identified as key priorities in the KI programme

Derrick Milligan Community Representative and Chair of the Board of Kirkintilloch’s Initiative said, “Kirkintilloch’s Initiative is very much a community led programme. The people of Kirkintilloch really do care about the future improvement of the town and we have been committed to ensuring that KI will deliver what they want. A lot of work has been going on behind the scenes to make sure we develop a package that will benefit everybody. We now look forward to seeing the results being delivered”

Council Leader, John Morrison and Board Member commented, “People have had enough talk of groups, new structures and task forces. What they want to see is action and the Board of the Kirkintilloch Initiative is made up of the right people to ensure that progress is made in the regeneration of the town.”

Kirkintilloch Councillor Rhondda Geekie, also a Board Member said, “We appreciate the concerns and frustrations of local people when they do not see immediate developments, but talk of new structures is not helpful. A lot of effort has gone into the Kirkintilloch Initiative and the long term future of the town. Now that much of the initial planning has been done, real progress can now be made. Preliminary work on the new leisure centre will begin this month, which will reassure the public that Kirkintilloch’s Initiative will deliver real improvements to this area.”

Fellow Board Member Councillor Anne Jarvis also added “Kirkintilloch’s Initiative has worked long and hard to develop the right regeneration projects for this area and we are now ready to see action. Changing the organisation will set the clock back five years and will probably lose us this chance to regenerate Kirkintilloch.”

Over the next few months Kirkintilloch’s Initiative will be announcing details of public exhibitions for the arts and culture centre and Kirkintilloch Link Road where details of these projects and drawings will be on display.