UPDATE :
FLATS DEVELOPMENT GARNETHILL / THE NEED FOR UNITY

Unfortunately I arrived at the consultation meeting concerning the planning application for 5 blocks of flats in Garnethill, near the end of the meeting. (due to the wrong time in the poster) However a summary was given to those who arrived at the latter time, slides, proposal and so on. This is based on that.

The proposed development details, I will not discuss here, suffice to say were the usual deal. Lack of consultation in the community, parking issues, green space disappearing, bad design, use of public land and so on. (I will publish details of development on City Strolls soon.)

The good folk of Garnethill community, who are not backward about going forward, turned up to what was a packed meeting and gave their informed opinion, in what seemed to be a collective rejection of the proposal.

Not only did they reject the scheme was bad for the community, but offered up, ideas, advice, and opinions to the collected officials to what constitutes a good community. A local artist also presented a slide show depicting the history of Garnethill, pre and during the destruction of part of Garnethill, and Charing Cross, by the M8 motorway.

An interesting point was made at the meeting that connects with what I wish to discuss here. The above proposal makes no provision for parking facilities and as someone pointed out, the overspill of cars would start to effect neighboring areas.
This is a very important point concerning development in the city per se. Each callous development no mater whether it is in your area, starts effects the city as a whole. Each forced project that is allowed to go ahead in one community, makes it easier to force another onto the next community.

The need for unity

There have been battles win and lost at the local level with speculating developers. The ingenuity and  inventiveness  of local citizens in these affairs are often clever and inspiring.
But we are loosing to many of these battles because communities are not learning from other communities experiences. We are each re inventing our own wheel, instead of sharing these experience.

No mater how clever we are and how right our cause, we are up against people who do not give a toss about community, (except the business community) So long as we are disconnected and unaware of what our fellow  citizens are up to, they can pick us off like flies. The business community are “highly organized”. Therefore, we need to be to have any effect, at least, organized and to engage as many regular members of the public as possible in community issues.

The following is an excerpt from North South East West an attempt toward  this organization. The link to the whole text is below. I am open to input ideas and information as usual
____________________________________________________________

A Problem

A major part of our problem is,(if and after we find out that there is a problem) we (the public) do not have a big enough loudspeaker to be heard. We are up against a business media force, with sponsorship from our government, using our money, that is deafening and drowning out our voice and therefore our opinions, in matters that are very important to us all.

We can not hope to compete and should not waste our energy trying to compete, with all our small individual loudspeakers, unless we combine them. We have to combine them to create a bigger noise in order take control of the microphone. Business can only hear loud noise.

Phase 1 Combined efforts:

What affects this end of the city will soon or later affect the other end of the city, and vice versa. But does this side of town know what the other side thinks, how it responds or acts in affairs that involves us all. [planning, environment, housing ]

N-S-E-W is an attempt to connect participants from all areas of the city, to give some support and hope to those involved in the above and below issues and to encourage others to join the struggle to make -starting in our communities – our world, a better place to live. The following are some thoughts that might help toward a set of principals which could help consolidate a collective voice, or give encouragement and support to existing groups working toward these ends…

Bob Hamilton

http://www.citystrolls.com/z-f-page/n-s-e-w.htm

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Fiona Sinclair
145 Buccieuch st, Flat 2/1,
Garnethifl,
Glasgow
14 June, 2004

Invitees:
George Galloway MP
Malcolm Green
Patrick Harvie
Pauiine McNeil
Mrs E Brown MBC
Roger Guthrie
HanzalaMalikJP

Proposed new housing development of 60 flats in GarnethiH. at Hill Street and Buccieuch Street
(overlooking Charing Cross/Woodlands) Ping Appln ref: 04/01764/dc

Dear members of Garenthid community and other Interested parties,

As key members of the Garnethiff community f very much hope you wilf be able to attend the meeting
to discuss the proposed new housing development in Gamethill on

Thursday 24th June 2004, 7.30pm GarnethiU Multicultural Centre.

If you are available, please see the attached agenda. Your support in this would be greatly appreciated
yours sincerety.

Fiona Sinclair
(receiving correspondence on thrs issue)

Letter from F Sinclair to:

Mary McLeod (Letter from F Sinclair to )
Director,
Charing Cross Housing Association,
31 Ashley Street,
Glasgow,
G3 6DR.
Dear Ms McLeod,

Ref: Development reference 04/01764/dc .
With reference to the above planned development proposed by Charing Cross Housing Association (CCHA) and Ogilvie Homes, we should like to invite you to a meeting of Garnethii! Community in Garnethili Community Centre, Rose Street, Garnethill on Thursday June 24 2004, at 7.30prn.

The arm of this meeting is to enable an open and transparent consultation process to begin between aEl parties interested in the present and future weH being of Garnethill Community and Glasgow City.

Given that the role of CGHA is viewed as key by the community in understanding better the proposed development and that within Glasgow City Council City Development Pian. community involvement is considered1 essential in securing an environment beneficial to residents and visitors alike, we hope that you or your representative will attend.

Within Garnethill Community there is a feeling that there is not enough information available in order that residents might participate fuHy in the proposed development. We therefore had to lodge our objections Immediately with Glasgow City Council Planning Department.
In order to resolve these issues and in the spirit of collaboration, we wouJd be grateful if you could confirm your attendance. We are also contacting other key parties to the same end and the proposed agenda listed betow refers to those parties whom we consider to be key tn providing us with fuller information:

Approximate timings for proposed agenda:
7.30 – 8.00 Presentation by Ogilvie/CCHA regarding the development plans.
8.00-8.15 Presentation byPlanning Officer regarding how this proposed development fits into the City Council’s
plans for inner city development.
S.15 -&-.3Q Presentation by Planning Officer explaining the planning process, anticipated timeUne and costings.
8-30 -9.00 Question and Answer session

In order Jor you to prepare for the Question and Answer session, we have drafted a Hst of concerns already
rased by members of the community. These are:
Social funding of the scheme
Demographic study
impact of groundworks, piling, etc, particularly with reference to the impact on homes and listed buildings
Flexibility of key parties to incorporate community design suggestions
Air quality and the loss of green spaces
Parking and accident hotspots
Programme for works
Potential for segmentation of the development
Impact of the development on a conservation area

As soon as we receive confirmation of your attendance, we wiit of course inform the Garnethilt Community at large. I have enclosed a stamped addressed envelope for your response, which i would request you return to me within one week of receipt of this letter. We sincerely hope that your representative or yourself wii! be able to attend and believe that many of the concerns currently being voiced wii! be alleviated with a more complete understanding of the proposed development. We look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely ,