A Lanarkshire woman has complained that Strathclyde Park has become a “park in two halves” following changes to its road.
Eleanor Simpson says alterations made by North Lanarkshire Council to the park during the pandemic have bisected the park.
She said: “If you enter from Motherwell you can access the Marina and cafe area and swing park but can’t access Alona Hotel, M&Ds or other facilities without leaving the park, joining the motorway and entering via the Raith interchange.
“This restriction means many find difficulty in using the park to the full as traffic volume on the motorway is usually heavy and added cost in fuel is a consideration. No one has given a clear answer as to why after many years, this decision was made.”
North Lanarkshire Council claim the changes will make the park safer for visitors.
A spokesperson said: “The decision to change access arrangements to Strathclyde Park was approved by councillors in February this year; it followed extensive consultation with people who use the park.
"At its heart it’s about making the park safer and more enjoyable for people to use.”
Council documents show that the decision to change the park’s layout was based on the results of surveys carried out in October 2021, which were in turn inspired by an earlier survey.
The findings were that more than 85 per cent of visitors felt the altered layout did indeed make the park safer and more peaceful, with just 17 per cent complaining it was harder to get around.
Police statistics also showed a fall in crime since the park was closed to vehicles where previously the majority of incidents in the park were traffic related.
Reports also indicate the same journey time of eight minutes could be achieved by driving from Bothwellhaugh cemetery to the Watersports centre as although the distance through the park was shorter the speed limit was much lower.
The most recent report, from February this year, noted: “Travelling through the park may be more enjoyable to motorists compared to using the road network but this negatively impacts on the enjoyment of visitors to the park using it for its intended recreational purpose. Therefore this short section of access route within Strathclyde Country Park will remain closed to motorised traffic.”
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