Glasgow Residents Network

Maryhill Newspaper, the Burgh Angel, once carried an editorial comment from the webmaster of Citystrolls website (see below). It’s indicative commentary like this is fairly common unfortunately. However the Glasgow Residents Network, last November endorsed a plan to see local residents across the city come up with their own plans. This section of the website is part of our attempt to help facilitate that.

Some Glasgow residents have already been working on developing an interactive residents plan, shaped by ordinary Glasgow citizens.

Glasgow Greenmap aims to provide print information on “second hand shops and reuse resources across Glasgow. [While] the web based green map [...] will encompass even more information on Glasgow’s green, cultural and social resources including parks, community centres, art galleries, charity shops and other green spaces.”

“The City Strolls webmaster offers an alternative to consultation methods which leave Glaswegians in the cold

Public Consultation?

Architects drawings, fancy screens, pictures with meaningless text and half a dozen “creative” people, a few councillors discretely tucked away in the audience and a selection of usually unimpressed locals. Just another heavy developer bias, consultation rap. The script is always planned out in advance to favour business interests. – “The local residents just need to understand where we are coming from then they will get it”. “So first, this person will talk, then this person will talk, then this person will talk. Then the audience will be allowed to question them on things they don’t understand.” “And then we will split up into smaller groups to discuss even more things you might not understand”. And so it goes. Someone will be taking photographs showing everyone consulting with each other. The photographer will be framing the pics. For the next glossy publication showing
how receptive folk are to our ideas. This is what’s called public consultation.

Alternative “Public” Consultation

Representatives from the local area meet with city officials and prospective developers to state their ideas, needs and requirements for their community. An agreement is made on how the Consultation is going to be pitched. Both parties having a full opportunity to explain their case. If there is any bias it should be on the residents part, as it’s their neighbourhood and their lives that will be affected by any regeneration. At the event as well as charts on social housing and promised jobs projections, a chart showing projected profits and full interests of the private parties involved should also be on display. A budget should set out, as part of the project, to allow the local population to employ their own independent expert, to explain how the changes or redevelopment of their area, will impact on their community. A stronger “public right of reply” should be allowed in council publications, which at present strongly favours the developer, rather than the public. Who, after all are planning authority Glasgow City Council meant to serve?”