IT’S ALL HAPPENING IN OLD KILPATRICK

There were several really positive and forward-looking discussions. This included the merging of Old Kilpatrick and Dalmuir Barclay churches, the future of Bowling Hall, as well as the creation of a Three Villages SCIO to bring together residents from Old Kilpatrick, Bowling, and Milton to work collaboratively for the benefit of all three communities. There was also agreement in principle to merge the community councils across these areas to help strengthen participation and membership. More details will follow, but I’d really encourage anyone interested to get involved – it’s a great way to have your say and support your local area.

I also provided a brief update on the garages at Portpatrick Road. Notices to Quit have now been issued, and the Council is aiming to have the garages removed as quickly as possible. However, it may take some time to fully clear the site after 1st May. I’ll be meeting with officers soon to get a clearer idea of timescales and to discuss potential future uses. I’ve made clear that I would like to see at least part of the site retained for community use, so if you have any ideas or suggestions, please do get in touch with me, and I can feed these back.

Finally, it was sad to hear that Old Kilpatrick Parish Church is expected to be placed on the market in the coming weeks by the Church of Scotland. I was christened there and spent a big part of my childhood around the church as a pupil at Gavinburn Primary and a member the 1st Old Kilpatrick Girls Brigade for 15 years. It’s a beautiful building with a lot of local history, and I know its future will matter to many, so I’ll be keeping a close eye on what happens next.

Overall, it was a really productive meeting, with lots of constructive conversations about the future of our communities. As always, if there are any local issues you’d like to raise or get involved in, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.