Sustrans Funding
We have won a Sustrans Scotland bid which will provide the community with advice and funding for the creation of local infrastructure that makes it easier to travel in Pollokshields. The application will focus on a holistic approach to traffic in Pollokshields, considering how to make the area as conducive to active travel, such as cycling and walking, as possible for residents and visitors. This will help to tackle ongoing issues such as speeding, double parking, parking at schools and safe movement of children to and from the local primary schools. The project will also be designed to complement and, where possible, link up with other proposed projects such as Avenue 77, the Kenmure Street Connector and the Nithsdale Green.
The study will allow us to look at, and build, the data that we need in order to make proposals to the issues affecting the community. The first step will be to launch a 3-month data study. Special thanks to Rob Cussons (Treasurer), Bill Fraser (Community Councillor) and Viola Retzlaff (local resident) for their efforts.
CCTV
We have been campaigning for many years to improve the surveillance of the Maxwell Square Park area area through the relocation of the existing CCTVs. The cameras are currently of little use due to positioning and tree foliage in summer. The Council (Community Safety Glasgow CSG), with the assistance of Councillors and the Community Coiuncil, have had several meetings and walkabouts around the area to assess provision. However, CSG has continually cited the lack of resources, and in view of the rising antisocial behaviour around the park the Pollokshields  Trust has won a 17K funding to newly appointed Ward 6 Community Choices to make the CCTV units operational. Special thanks to Bill Fraser for spearheading this effort.
In October the Community Council visited the Council’s main control room which operates the CCTV units around Pollokshields. Through the visit we learned that the area is being comprehensively covered by the cameras, however, the park could be better provisioned. There was a concern raised by the Council and Police officials of the low levels of community intelligence (i.e. residents not reporting enough ). We have disseminated information to residents via social media on how to report, the phone number to contact the control room itself.
Maxwell Square Residents Group
This group was set up in September in 2019 in a bid to tackle the persistent, and rising, antisocial behaviour around the park. There is an active WhatsApp group and the Pollokshields Together Facebook page are now an important communication portal to share information amongst residents.
We have built a strong cohort of residents who want solutions and are prepared to work with public agencies over the long term. We seek creative ideas from local residents to make this a success.
For winter 2019 we are planning to have a Festival of Light based on window displays in the front windows of homes and shops. These displays are based on a successful community led campaign to get people out of their homes and get to know their community better https://www.windowwanderland.com/about/. We also plan a fun community event taking place at the old Kingston Bowling Green where there will be food, music and of course various light performances, in a similar vein to the successful East Pollokshields Quad Festival of Light.
We have been involved in building community spaces through the Pollokshields Playhouse which was a temporary outdoor venue built by the community for the community. The Festival of Light will be an equally big, and fun, challenge. If you want to find out more and get involved please contact.
Pollokshields Community Council 