Scottish Water has launched a major consultation encouraging customers to help shape the future of water services in Scotland to 2040.
The company wants to hear whether customers think it has identified the right priorities to build on past efforts.
Scottish Water is keen to get the views of members of local communities across the country. But hurry. You only have until the 14th February to give your opinions.Anyone interested in taking part, and we encourage everyone to do so, should visit the Scottish Water website survey.
As Scottish Water explains, “We are seeking your views regarding the future of your water and waste water services and our strategy for these services. We have conducted extensive research and held discussion with customer groups and stakeholders which has informed this consultation.”
“We believe it is important that we consult widely on our future strategy to ensure that our customers and stakeholders can share their views on the future and have confidence that our services will meet their expectations.”
The consultation runs until 12th February 2013 and anyone participating is in with a chance of winning £100 of M&S vouchers.
After the recent public consultation held in Trevelyan Hall, ELC’s Transport department has returned a recommendation to Cabinet that the plan proceed with one change – no additional car parking spaces will be added to the school.
Following a recent public consultation ELC’s Transport department is recommending the footpath plan proceed minus the additional (in pink) car parking spaces at the school.The proposals included the addition of car parking spaces in the school grounds. A number of Glebe residents, who live around the school’s entrance, were supportive of the parallel footpath but stated they felt they had to object to those current proposals as they did not wish to see further car parking spaces added to the school as part of pedestrian safety improvements.
The original intent was that these further spaces would provide additional car parking in the heart of the village which, courtesy of a new disabled access footpath between the Church, Carriage House and school, would mean that cars could utilise these facilities on evenings and weekends where required. The view was that this would alleviate parking issues on both the main road outside the church and remove the need for cars to potentially park in the Glebe.
Now, with Transport recommending the footpath proceed without the additional parking facilities for the community, it is hoped that Glebe residents’ concerns will be addressed.
The public consultation consisted of an event held in the Trevelyan Hall plus both a paper and online survey. After removing any duplicate responses the results of that process were as follows:
From the public consultation comment book:
44 For the parallel footpath
24 Against the parallel footpath
12 Not stating a position
The online element was more emphatic:
61 For the parallel footpath
There was also a door to door survey:
31 for the parallel footpath Plan
In addition the Community Council received one email for the footpath plan to be completed and one against.
In summary, this meant that there were 137 in total for the parallel footpath, 25 against and 12 where a view on the footpath being completed wasn’t expressed.
Next Steps
The parallel footpath proposals are already widely supported by a number of community groups, many of whom contributed to these proposals after plans to move the lights and widen the main road pavement were rejected by the ELC.
Now that ELC’s Transport department has submitted its recommendation to cabinet, it will be debated on the 11th of December. If the recommendations of ELC’s Transport department are accepted by Cabinet it will then go before a future Planning Committee meeting for a final decision.
Interested parties received a letter today informing them of the Planning Committee’s decision to go ahead with the revised plan for a parallel footpath through the middle of the village, thus avoiding the narrow pavement. However, it remains unclear as to when this work will actually be completed and the alternate path usable by members of the community.
Whatever your view a big thanks to all those who made the effort to come along to the Public Consultation on the parallel footpath today or participated in the survey.
There was a pretty good turnout in terms of numbers at both the actual event in Trevelyan Hall and from those taking part in both the paper and online surveys.
An artist’s impression of the footpath when completed going up to the church. Click above for a larger version.Generally the impression was that the majority are in clear support of the footpath with the odd vehement exception.
However, Glebe residents asked the quite reasonable question of how and why the additional parking became part of the footpath plan and en-mass felt they had no choice but to object, despite not having issue with the core intent of a safer footpath.
Meantime, so far we have received 61 online and 31 written notes of support with 5 online responses against the plan .
Working with ELC officials we will now collate the rest of the comments gathered today and report back.
Remember, if you still want to participate because you missed the consultation and haven’t had the opportunity to air your view through other means, you can still take part in the one question survey here.
