Changes planned for Glasgow's East End detailed in consultation

Council bosses have released a new document - a Strategic Development Framework (SDF) - that sets out a 10 year plan to transform a large section of the city.

It aims to make the east of Glasgow a more attractive place to live, tackle deprivation and health inequality.

Councillor Kenny McLean, City Convener for Neighbourhoods, Housing, and Public Realm at Glasgow City Council, said: "We would like as many people as possible with an interest in Glasgow’s Inner East to take part in this consultation as this framework will help guide the area’s future development.

"By participating, people will help develop the area into the place they’d like it to be."

The consultation covers a large part of the east and includes: Barrowfield, Bridgeton, Calton/Barras, Carntyne, Cathedral Quadrant, Collegelands, Dalmarnock, Dennistoun, the Games Village, Haghill, Parkhead, Shettleston, The Forge and Tollcross.

The SDF document goes in to detail about plans to make the area "become a series of interconnected walkable and liveable neighbourhoods, creating a vibrant, inclusive, liveable and well-connected people-friendly place.

"It will be a city district that is climate-resilient; fosters creativity and opportunity; promotes social cohesion, as well as health and wellbeing and economic prosperity."

Similar consultation exercises have already been carried out for Partick/Govan, the Clyde, and North Glasgow.

The document reflects that the East End has a rich history and strong identity related to its industrial past but industrial decline has had a serious negative affect.

It adds: "The Inner East is an important city district, linking the City Centre, the University of Strathclyde and the Commonwealth Games venues to the wider region.

"The locational benefits are often outweighed by the fragmentation and disconnection caused by vacant land and by the arrangement of existing infrastructure, such as the rail lines which pass east to west and limit north south connectivity.

"The Inner East currently presents areas of differing character and distinct urban form ranging from traditional town centres, such as Parkhead Cross, large retail parks, new residential developments, and sport/event clusters.

"Neighbourhoods are not well connected because of large areas of vacant and derelict land, single use of large sites and transport infrastructure impact on connectivity leading to dislocation and

dispersal."

The Inner East area has a significant proportion of areas of high multiple deprivation and several areas that fall under the 5% most deprived in Scotland.

The report says deprivation in the area is long term and "individuals often have more than one stressor on their lives."

It adds: "Often negative early life experiences such as crime or poverty results in poor health (including mental health later in life) and can also prevent them from participating and benefiting from the positive assets the Inner East has to offer.

"Many young people don’t appear to choose to remain in the Inner East.

"Health is generally worse than both the national average and the level for all of Glasgow.

"This includes a significant difference in life expectancy, childhood obesity and the need for elderly support."

It is hoped that by transforming neighbourhoods, encouraging active travel and allowing communities easy access to facilities and services, these trends will reverse.

The consultation runs until September 3.

To read the document and give a response see: tinyurl.com/mcrnj9x4