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Description
| Located on the eastern edge of North Lanarkshire, the higher moorland areas are relatively sparsely populated and have comparatively few paths. The principal exception lies to the south of Harthill where there are a number of claimed rights of way and a network of paths created by the Central Scotland Countryside Trust. These extend east across the authority boundary in West Lothian. The area includes a number of 'Walkers Welcome' woodland areas and is linked to Airdrie via the North Calder Walkway along the southern shore of the Hillend Reservoir. The Glasgow to Edinburgh Cycle Route also passes through the area. The area's landscape is likely to change in the future as significant woodland planting is undertaken as part of the Central Scotland Forest Project. |
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Key Issues
The area is essentially rural in character, and is dissected by the M8. It provides an upland area which is rich in wildlife, and which feels more remote than most other parts of North Lanarkshire. Perhaps unsurprisingly, communities like Harthill are currently not well connected to other places, other than by using the car. The area is important in terms of providing cross border links into West Lothian at its southern end, and Falkirk to the north east.
Action Area Vision
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Further development of opportunities for rural recreation alongside plans for the Central Scotland Forest. Improving local links between settlements. Developing clear cross boundary links. |
Priorities
The following priorities have been identified in this area:
- The area provides scope for further development of recreation opportunities, building on the work already undertaken in local woodland areas (walkers welcome scheme) and by the Central Scotland Countryside Trust to the south of Harthill. Development of more cohesive networks within the area could help to achieve this, perhaps by linking access areas with paths, or by providing walkers with better information on related local sites. Links from the long distance cycle routes to local access areas are likely to prove a particularly effective way of achieving this.
- Scope for establishing local links (e.g. from Harthill to Shotts) should be explored further as a means of addressing potential social exclusion resulting from isolation of rural communities and overall low rates of car ownership. This is supported by the Local Transport Strategy and might be achieved by traffic calming on some of the area's minor roads (see above).
- Scope for establishing further cross boundary links into Falkirk should be considered, to mirror links into West Lothian which have been established further south within the area. To a certain extent, the Ballochney Railway Path should help to achieve this, passing eastwards from Airdrie through Longriggend to Bo'ness. This may also be an important route for establishing long distance links to the Forth and Clyde Canal across the inland area.
Implementation
- North Lanarkshire Council should liaise with Falkirk Council to establish a strategy for developing cross boundary routes.
- Sustrans might be approached with a view to establishing local links to long distance routes.
- Forest Enterprise and Central Scotland Countryside Trust should work with local communities to establish how more coherent networks could be developed in the area, building on previous initiatives. Forest Enterprise may be able to support development of cross boundary links towards Falkirk, and other routes within their land holdings. A number of Woodland Grant Scheme Challenge Fund applications, which include provision for access, have already been submitted for this area. Should they be successful, their implementation should be undertaken with a view to meeting the strategic themes for this area, where possible.
- Traffic calming on local roads might be supported by North Lanarkshire Council's Transportation Department.
- The potential social and community benefits of improving access in the area may help to secure funding from a range of sources.
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