IF "JAG" DONT WANT THE M 80 TROUGH CUMBERNAULD, WE SHOULD WELCOME IT WITH OPEN ARM'S FOR THE VAST AMOUNT OF BENIFIT IT WOULD BRING TO OUR TOWN, BY PUTTING US ON THE MOTORWAY NETWORK FOR VERY LITTLE LOSS.
THERE WOULD BE VERY LITTLE OR NO ADVERSE EFFECT TO OVER 99% OF KILSYTH HOUSEHOLD'S AND 100% WOULD BENIFIT.
SOMEONE SHOULD START A CAMPAIGN AGAINST THE "VOCAL MINORITY", AND PUT THE FUTURE OF OUR TOWN FIRST FOR US AND FUTURE GENERATIONS.
WELL DONE THAT MAN FREEBAIRN FOR STANDING UP AND BEING COUNTED.
UPGRADING EXISTING A 80 IS NOT VIABLE AND WOULD BE A LONG TERM DISASTER FOR KILSYTH.

john freebairn is right in saying we should have the kelvin valley route; it would improve this community; and with the ammount of cars growing every year an up-grade is a pure waste of money; our local roads will be put under severe pressure for up to ten years and the noise and pollution will be unbarable for our local residents; especially people living on the main roads;
let the local paper run a poll on this to every household in kilsyth and lets go on the publics sayso;
it;s the same with the land on stirling road it;s an eye-sore ; we need all the peoples views not just some;
woof-woof; gr------------

The Kelvin Valley route is a dead duck - it simply will not happen. Why?

a) Cost - it would be extremely expensive.
b) public opposition - new motorways are often blocked by literally decades of legal and environmental arguments - look at the time it has taken to get the M74 link sorted out.
c) low priority - the M77 route from Ayrshire and the M8 upgrade are far higher priority for economic reasons

Upgrading the existing route of the A80 involves minimal disruption to local communities and will provide a significant benefit within a few years by reducing the heavy traffic coming through our own town.

I am baffled as to why anyone from Kilsyth should be advocating building a new motorway through the Kelvin valley, by all means let's hear the arguments if there are any, but maybe this is really a joke thread?

there is nothing baffling about building a new road and what is so special about the kelvin valley how many people take notice of their surroundings only the older people that i know of; i look at the hills every day and see nothing but sheep and cows not a human in-sight; look up at the new quarry on the hills never heard any debate about that but then some people made a lot of money out of that one; go up the glen it;s over grown no-body wants these things anymore;
the new moterway would hardly be noticed but as the man say;s it won;t happen because this new parliment is skint but i bet a pound to a penny my rates go up a fare bit this year; to pay for all these politicians who can only vote the way their told to by the whips; i;m voting independant this time so at least i;ll know who i;m talking to; we are all mugs if we vote for the same again brigade; gr------------

Hello again from the land of fruits and nuts. We have had a lot of rain recently and it made me feel right at home, almost like July in Kilsyth.
I am surprised at your reaction Rob, to a freeway coming close by Kilsyth. There is a freeway that goes from california over to tennessee called route 40. It replaced the old route 66 of TV fame. I have driven this route on more than one occasion and the towns that were on route 66 and are within a couple of miles from route 40, with no off and on ramps are now ghost towns. One of the topics of this forum was bringing out of town money to Kilsyth and I believe it would be a lot easier if Kilsyth were close to a major artery without having to come down that dreadful road through Croy. ( No offense meant to Croy ). Perhaps it could be like the movie " Field of dreams " where the hero is advised to build it and they will come. Getting them there is half the battle and then making their journey worthwhile would be a piece of cake for this town. Even the trip through Bishopbriggs, Kirky and Queenzieburn is a pain.

George Miller

Why not have the Kelvin Valley Route?. The upgrade will cause years of heavy traffic coming through Kilsyth. The roads are busy enough now never mind 2/3 years down the line. The MAJORITY of Kilsyth people want the new route. The Community Council say they speak for the people of Kilsyth, they have never asked me what I think.
We also need more affordable housing in the area. Young couples getting married need a roof over their heads and as there are no Local Authority housing being build they need to buy privately. It also brings work to the town, which is welcomed.

Why? o Why? do you never want anything that is going to improve this area go along smoothly?
I think you just like to see your name in print.

I AGREE TOTALLY THAT THE M 80 KELVIN VALLEY WOULD BE THE BEST OPTION FOR KILSYTH.
UP-GRADING THE EXISTING A 80 WOULD BE THE NIGHTMARE OPTION FOR KILSYTH DURING(10 YRS) AND POST CONSTRUCTION AND LEAD TO NO POSITIVE GAIN FOR THE TOWN
AND LEAD TO TRAFFIC MELT-DOWN IN THE WHOLE SURROUNDING AREA.
THE JOKE IS ON THOSE WHO BELIVE THAT UPGRADING THE A 80 WOULD "INVOLVE MINIMAL DISRUPTION TO LOCAL COMMUNITIES, AND REDUCE HEAVY TRAFFIC THROUGH OUR TOWN", AND FAIL TO GRASP THE WEALTH OF OPPORTUNITIES AND BENIFIT'S THE K.V. ROUTE WOULD BRING TO OUR TOWN.
GET REAL.

Reality - is that the A80 upgrade has already been approved ;-)

Its hard to take message threads by somone operating under the alias of "swampy" as anything except a bit of fun - wasnt he the character who tried to stop them building new motorways and bypasses through unspoiled countryside like at Newbury?

I MOVED TO KILSYTH EXPECTING THIS.BROADBAND COULD HELP BUT THIS IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN THAT.

THE CALIFORNIA MAN IS QUITE RIGHT.
KILSYTH SUFFERED FOR YEARS AS LITTLE BROTHER UNDER CKDC, AND THE SITUATION HAS GOT MUCH WORSE WITH NLC, IF C'NAULD NOW COMPLAINS ABOUT BEING POOR RELATION IN NLC WHERE DOES THAT LEAVE US?
THE M80 WOULD BRINGOS OUT OF THE DOL-DRUM'S AND INTO THE 21st CENTURY.
KILSYTH WOULD BECOME A LOCATION NOT A BACKWATER OR PASSING THOUGH PLACE.

Firtsly, it aint going to happen. But just think about the supposed benefits for one moment. Kilsyth is no backwater - just look at the facts. These show clearly that Kilsyth has some of the best performing schools, the lowest crime rate and the lowest rate of unemployment in North Lanarkshire.

Some of the poshest places in Scotland dont have a motorway - take Milngavie or Bearsden for example. Whilst some fairly bleak urban landscapes can be found in places like Royston, Ibrox, Coatbridge or even Motherwell, which are right by major arteries. Who want Euro-central in our backyard?

Unlike many desolate places right beside a motorway, Kilsyth has developed a diverse and thriving range of manufacturing, transport and service sector industries (just check the business directory which lists around 100 companies operating in the area, especially in the engineering and technology sectors) It is also an attractive place to live, which is why Wimpey, Park Circus homes and all the other developers want to get a piece of the action.

People driving down motorways dont stop at small traditional town centres to go shopping - they want convenient, big out of town shopping centres and Ikea. If we had a motorway, quite apart from the obliteration of our most precious rural, scenic and heritage assets, the main impact would be that more folk from Kilsyth would fetch their shopping from Braehead or Falkirk, not that folk from Stirling would come here to get their messages! That three mile section of minor roads helps to protect us from excessive through traffic, and also helps keep our shopping local. Right now shops in the main street dont stay vacant for long, though I think we all agree that we need a better range of attractive shops in the main street with much more to offer.

Our future (IMHO) is tied up with local families and incomers who want to distance themselves slightly from the urban hustle and bustle, not to join the conurbation. After all, fast rail and road links mean that the big cities are both less than an hour away. Maybe thats quite close enough.

I would ask a simple question - what are these so-called benefits, anyway?

Nowhwere in my last message did I propose that Kilsyth become another urban development. My proposal was simply to make access to the town and its many natural amenities available to people who still like to go out at the weekend just for a drive. Neither did I propose turning Kilsyth into another Milngavie, one Milngavie in this world is quite enough thank you.
In an earlier topic there was quite a bit of discussion about marketing Kilsyth,s natural assets and making it a place where people would want to come and enjoy them plus do a little shopping and perhaps stay and have a meal before trundling off home with nice memories of a day in the country where as you point out the crime rate is low and the population are intelligent, ( a nice combination in any country and not one you often find in the USA ). Easier access to the town was all that I was proposing.
George Miller

I know this is not the main point of your post however I feel I have to comment on what you said about C/nauld. For years they lorded it over us under CKDC (how long for a swimming pool), now they are no longer the main players they cannot handle it. I believe we are not faring too badly under NLC, it is time for C/nauld to stop whinging and accept they are no longer top dog, we have done it for years.
As Kilsythians we should be proud of our town and each play a part to make it better, if that means having a motorway on our doorstep then so be it, if it means coming out and supporting events such as Civic Week or the Music festival then we should do this as well, people seem to get het up about this subject, when the final decision does not rest in our hands, but appear apathetical to the day to day goings on of our town. Let us show our neighbours what Kilsyth is about by us all helping make it what it can be. Our football team has shown that Kilsyth can be successful so why not other aspects of the town

I agree with everything you said. I have friends who are proffessional drivers and they all want the new road to go ahead. The Community Council only speak for a very small minority of people. The PEOPLE of Kilsyth welcome this New Road with open arms.The Community Council have never asked me if they can speak for me. How many of them drive cars?
Good work John Freebairn.

Hi Swampy and the tree dwellers,

Do you have any idea if the Community Council ever put a petition round the town?
If so, how many signatures did they collect?
How many voices do we have on the Community Council?
A lot of my friends ask the same questions.When the above get mentioned anywhere,the same 2 names seem to crop up. Please advise.
Thankyou

If you are so concerned that the community council do not speak on your behalf, why dont you stop moaning and go along and make your opinion heard, the times and venues of meetings are always detailed in the Chronicle.
Some times I despair at my fellow Kilsythians, always moaning, and critizising those who give up their free time to try to make this town as good as it can be. as mentioned earlier we have a lot to be thankful for living here, as I have done all my life. I have no firm opinion either way on whether a motorway should be built here or not. I believe we should be focusing on getting something done about the "Main St". If as some are suggesting the motorway would bring people to Kilsyth, what are they going to be faces with when they go looking for the centre of town.
It is all about priorities

Hi there Kilsyth Granny/Kilsythian.

The Community Council didn't carry out a survey because the green route through the Kelvin Valley was not one of the options which the Scottish executive were considering - it would have been a complete waste of time. We have to work within what is realistic and possible.

Its also true that if the Kelvin valley route had been in the frame, the opposition (not just local) would have been very significant because it would destroy the very things that people might wish to come here for - tranquillity, scenery, fresh air.

The community council is an all-volunteer body, and we certainly welcome members of the public coming along to out meetings (the next one is tonight) to put across their views. We try to do our best for the town, but as this is all in our own time there are limits on our ability to test public opinion, as I am sure you realise. I do think this website has helped provide a forum for discussion, and unlike the local paper, the discussions can be followed over a longer time-frame.

Thank you very much for your contributions - I really enjoy reading them and do my level best to make sure that all relevant contributions and viewpoints are reflected in Council discussions.

Re my message earlier today.
Why o Why?
This should have been directed at Rob Kay.Dash it--------His name is in Print again. Sorry folks

GOOD NEWS COLZIUM, MAIN ST, BURNGREEN ETC BUT I AGREE WE WILL JUST BE A PASSING THROUGH PLACE.
EXISTING PROPOSAL'S ARE A FARCE.
DO THE JOB PROPERLY AND PUT US ON THE MAP

sun 25 jan 04,
road work's at castlecary,
kilsyth gridlocked all day,
does anyone want 10 yrs of this?
with no real solution to the problem.
anyone living next to or near the A 803 cant have missed the meltdown.
EH ROB??
how was your quiet wee hoose today?

I must say that I did enjoy reading the comments made over the M80 however, I do think that some items need to be cleared up. While Kilsyth community council did not carry out any surveys on the preferred route of the M80 a group called the Friends of the Kelvin Valley did, they discovered upon carrying out a Random Survey of many Kilsyth streets, in many different areas of the town, that the biggest majority were AGAINST the Kelvin Valley route, the local newspaper carried out a telephone poll at the height of the debate and once more those who responded were AGAINST the Kelvin Valley proposals. Surveys carried out in Banton, Croy and Banknock also gave the same findings, all AGAINST the Kelvin Valley route. While these surveys cannot claim to be 100% scientific they did give a good indication of the public's feelings on the matter.
This is however all history, if any one cares to check back copies of the Kilsyth Chronicle the details are all there. The Friends of the Kelvin Valley still exist although we do not actively campaign as we have won our fight to keep the M80 out of the Kelvin Valley. I don,t want to be drawn into a debate over this matter but just so you all know the petition that Friends of the Kelvin Valley collected from the residents of Croy, Queenzieburn, Banton, Kilsyth and Twechar contained over 10,000 signatures against the proposals of M80 through the Kelvin Valley. This petition was personally handed into 10 Downing Street by a young girl from Banton, again if you want the history check the Chronicle. So I guess all of you who claim not to have been asked what you thought weren,t at the right place at the right time.
Yours Christine.

Very impressive petition result, 10,000 signatures which is considerably more that the entire adult population. Its not very often that you see a 125% turnout, now is it? ;-) I bet there are a few local politicians who wish they had that kind of interest in their campaigns.

I went to the meeting last Monday organised by JAG, there were around 50 people there but that included some well kent folk bussed in from Cumbernauld. I'm afraid the speakers were given a pretty good heckling by the Kilsyth crowd so it was fairly clear which side Kilsyth is on.

I must have missed the alleged traffic jam on Sunday, but then like many others we leave the car at home on Sunday and go for a nice peaceful walk along the canal or the Colzium. Well, long may they remain peaceful!

Rob,
In reply to your comments about the petition I mentioned, The petition carried signatures from all the local areas concerned ie Kilsyth, Croy, Twecher, Queenzieburn, Banknock,Banton and Cumbernauld. Visitors to the amenities of the Kelvin Valley ie the canal, the colzium etc were also asked for their support, this is why it contained so many signatures, Kilsyth is not the only area that would have been affected if this motorway had went ahead. On an other point there were a few chidren/young people (under 18,s but above 13) who also signed this petition. They were obviously very concerned about the proposals and the affect that it would have had upon their adult lives, personally I think that it is a good thing that yound people have a voice in matters which affect them.
I hope that this information clears up matters for you.