Clydesdale: response to Big Freeze issues

Allegations have been made that South Lanarkshire Council left street pavements in Lanark and Carluke untreated until the end of last week while gritting its own empty car park at its Clydesdale headquarters twice a day during the emergency period.

And the area's MSP wants to know why rail services between Lanark and Glasgow via Carluke have been disrupted...since the week before Christmas.

The Gazette was contacted by a disgruntled resident who lives closed to the council headquarters in South Vennel, Lanark.

The elderly resident, a tenant in a nearby sheltered housing complex, said: "I watched the gritters going around the empty car park twice a day during the holiday. It's madness."

A council spokesman said: "This is an important access route to both the home and the council offices and car park. It is on a

primary gritting route to keep access open to council services.

"Given the repeated snowfall and sub-zero temperatures, it is prudent to keep treating this road and the car park is where the gritter turns to get back out."

Clydesdale MSP Karen Gillon has also called on the Scottish Government and transport operators to explain continued disruptions to rail services.

She has written to the Scottish Government, Network Rail and First Scotrail seeking an explanation for the disruption.

Karen said: "I understand that signalling problems have been offered as the cause for disruptions but this raises further questions. If the line is safe and the signalling problems are being exacerbated by the cold weather, what is being done to remedy this?"

For more information on this story, pick up a copy of this week's Carluke and Lanark Gazette which is in the shops now.