Auchinloch Right of Way
Project Description
Auchinloch is a rural area in the north-west corner of North Lanarkshire, on the boundary of East Dunbartonshire to the north and the boundary with Glasgow one mile to the west. The public right of way for many years has been overgrown and impassible – with no active travel between our village and any other North Lanarkshire community. This project aimed to restore the connecting walking network. Opening this route would reclaim the land and restore the pathway, enabling local residents to walk to nearby communities for health and social care provision.
Supporting Statement
At the last census, 23.9% of all people in Auchinloch were living with a limiting long-term illness, significantly higher than the Scotland average of 19.6%. In 2011, 39.5% of people were in full time employment. We have seen a significant increase in unemployment and negative impact thereof, as a result of COVID-19 and cost of living crisis. This has led to decreasing wellbeing, social isolation and increasing financial hardship, such as higher basic costs, food and fuel poverty, and insecurity.Our village has limited facilities with one local shop, and no public transport links within our local authority area. There is a lack of recreational facilities, especially for teenagers and adults – our residents faced exclusion.
This project to open a safe walking route would enable access to economic opportunities, such as work, transport, shops and facilities and was identified through our Community Action Plan, in consultation with residents through meetings, newsletters, surveys, social media and public engagement events. We created a steering group to bring together representatives from Auchinloch Community Council, Toddlers Group, Primary School Parents’ Council, Residents and statutory bodies.
We sought to develop footpaths and restore the connecting public right of way (G66 5LD – Auchinloch to Stepps, GR 65287 69997 – map attached) and reclaim our former links with the wider North Lanarkshire community and access to local chemist, GP, podiatrist, shops, library and bank which would enable local people to connect through active travel. Previously, this option is limited to those households with access to a private vehicle as the public transport infrastructure would require residents to travel two hours (via Glasgow City) and at considerable expense to achieve the same journey. We want all residents to be able to have choice and access to provisions equally.
The community council volunteers met monthly for four years, sharing their knowledge and expertise to maintain momentum to achieve our goal for our community. We collaborated with Paths for All, ScotWays, North Lanarkshire Council and local land owners.
We sought funding from many sources and were successful in achieving our target to enable us to proceed to a full project plan. We engaged with our procurement subject matter expert to draw together an invitation to tender for contractors for the two phases – clearing and preparing and then creating the pathways. With the increasing cost in materials and labour, we partnered with the Community Payback team to help our budget stretch further.
On New Year’s Day 2024, we opened our new walking route with residents of all ages enjoying our fabulous surroundings, accompanied by friends old and new. The footpath will enable children and families to safely increase activity, spending quality time together outdoors exploring, such as the Bluebell Dell and the Seven Lochs network. This will include learning about their local communities and the opportunities therein.
The Community Council and Norther Corridor Community Volunteers will maintain this fantastic community initiative, ensuring longevity the right of way for our residents.