GRANT FINANCE TO IMPROVE LANES
Ever since I became involved in the Scotstoun Residents Association, now known as Scotstoun Conservation Area Residents Association, the condition of the lanes between the avenues has been a topic of concern. From time to time, comparisons have been made with the somewhat superior condition of the leans in certain adjoining areas. Never in my time has there had been the slightest glimmer of interest shown by the local authority. However, it has recently been drawn to our attention that grant finance has been offered for the specified purpose of improving local lanes. My own view is that this offer as it stands might not be of much assistance but, for what it is worth, we have decided to publicise it as best we can.
The information provided reads as follows: In 2021 a fund of £700k was established to further support owners of private lanes to improve the overall environmental quality of these shared spaces.The Private Lane Improvement Fund will allow constituted groups to apply for £1000 to £20,000 for interventions which may address common issues identified in the private lane strategy such as
Fly tipping
Trees vegetation Lane Surface/ Drainage
Antisocial behaviour/ security Food Growing
Enhanced Biodiversity
Active travel
Further information about the grant funding c an be found at the following link: https://www.glasgow.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=26610
To apply for funding please read the guidance notes and complete the online form. Closing date for applications is Friday 11 March 2022. While there is not much time to make applications but, because it seems that applications need to be made through local bodies such as SCARA, the SCARA committee is prepared to process any applications which we receive in time for submission before the deadline. Residents therefore might wish to consider obtaining written quotations for lane improvement works and then sending the quotation to SCARA by email to:-
info@scara.org.uk
and we will then make reasonable efforts to place your application before the City Council. Given the little time available and our lack of knowledge as to what exactly is required to support the application and our own very limited resources, we cannot guarantee that we will manage to place a valid application before the Council but we will make a reasonable effort to do so.
One other point. When an item like this comes to our attention we would like to pout it in front of as many residents as possible. However, very few residents have responded to the suggestions in our Newsletters that you should send us a contact emails so that we can circulate such matters as widely and as quickly as possible. Please pass this message to as many households in the area as you can
Michael Sheridan
Convener
NEWS 12th May 2022. The short story is that we have been informed that the application for local authority grant funding for lane improvement which we submitted in March this year has been granted. The long story is that the award is subject to the usual reams of conditions which we now need to address and we shall now do so and report further in due course. Also, although we were informed that applications closed on 11th March 2022, we have been informally advised that there may be scope for further applications and we are now researching this possibility and, again, will report further in this column when we are so advised.
MS
20th November 2022. The saga continues. The acceptance paperwork previously referred to involved collating and entering some further information and this was duly completed and returned to the Council. There followed a period of radio silence, puntuated only by my plaintive requests for news of the progress of our application. Eventually, I referred the matter to a very helpful local councillor following which I received telephone confirmation not only that our application had been successful but that funds were ring fenced to pay the grant of £10,000.00 but that, because the Avenues are a conservarion area, we would need to get planning permission and listed building consent for the works to be undertaken and that I would receive email confirmation of the requirements. Again, nothing happened until, after a few more plaintive requests, I received email confirmation with a set of further papers which, I am sorry to say, I have not yet been able to study, on account of also having a life to get on with. The one thing I have picked up from the latest papers and which might have discouraged me from looking further at them is the information that there will be some expense involved in seeking these permissions and this rather changes the nature of the exercise. I will report further as and when | have managed to take this to its next stage. The whole prospect of ther success of this venture looks pretty bleak but a Council official has assured me that there is an intention to make finance available for this type of work. While you should not gp to any great lengths or incur any expense in the meantime, perhaps you should think about how you would progress a similar project if the current efforts prove to be successful.
MS
