Labour and Tory councillors to support #LightTheWay campaign
Motions are being raised at the Glasgow City Council meeting today
The two biggest opposition parties on Glasgow City Council will back a motion demanding better lighting in our parks as part of Radio Clyde's Light The Way campaign.
Labour and Tory councilors are indicating they'll support calls to install lights on key routes after a police diversion during COP26 forced locals to walk through Kelvingrove Park late at night.
Hundreds of people are set to gather in Kelvingrove on Friday to demand action from the council as part of our campaign.
Council bosses have previously said they don’t encourage people to use parks at night, partly because lighting would disrupt nocturnal wildlife.
READ MORE: Lord Provost backs #LightTheWay
READ MORE: How #LightTheWay began
Call for feasibility report
Labour’s Jill Brown will ask councillors to instruct council staff to put together a report on the “necessary infrastructure to provide sensitive lighting solutions.”
She told Clyde News: "With sunset being before 4pm today we're in a situation where we need to make those green spaces accessible and safe for everyone to use, and Light The Way has brought this into sharp focus.
"We don't to light all parts of all parks, it's to make sure that there are some routes which are lit sufficiently to allow people to feel comfortable using them.
"There are concerns forthe nature which lives in our parks, and that we don't impact on bio-diveristity, but we absolutely know that's possible and it has been done in other cities.
She said: “I refuse to believe that Glasgow’s parks and open spaces should be written off as ‘no-go areas’ for women and children.
“Why is it that we can light up the Botanic Gardens when people have paid for tickets, but not if they want to go for a run, walk or cycle past 4pm at the height of winter?”
Minor parties votes will be crucial
A second motion is being submitted by the Conservatives.
Together the two parties outnumber the ruling SNP group by 37 - 35, with 13 other councillors from the Greens, Alba and indpendents.
Conservative councillor Thomas Kerr is planning to present a motion which calls for a public consultation on the issue and a report on the “feasibility of implementing additional lighting in city parks.”
A council spokesman said public safety is “an absolute priority” and it is “actively looking at the experience of other places” as well as academic research.
They added that the issue is “complex” with “competing priorities” but “ensuring personal safety in public spaces is an absolute priority”.
“We want people to feel secure and safe when moving around the city and we are aware this can be a particular issue for women, LGBTQ+ communities and those from black and ethnic minority backgrounds.”
He added a draft active travel strategy focuses on “safe routes” for walking, wheeling and cycling and there is also a “responsibility to protect and promote the city’s biodiversity.”
He said: “It is crucial that we fully understand the potential for unintended consequences by changing lighting patterns in these natural spaces.
“Careful consideration of possible measures must be undertaken to properly understand the potential impact on the city’s flora and fauna, but also whether any changes will create a safer environment for people to use.”
Join our demonstration
The demonstration in Kelvingrove Park will take place at 6pm on Friday, December 10 at the Stewart Memorial Fountain.
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