College boycott could be a new blow for Cumbernauld town centre

A key player in a bitter row over town centre parking is considering a drastic move two weeks after crunch talks failed to find a solution.

The Cumbernauld campus of New College Lanarkshire has stressed this week that it will remove courses from the town centre and transfer them to its other sites, if the Antonine Centre does not agree to waive parking restrictions.

The college has even stated that it would never have undertaken a sizeable re-development of the original 1970s structure had it grasped at the planning stage that parking would be so heavily restricted

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Students and staff say they are being hammered with £60 fines and that the restrictions are affecting the timetable as car users are forced to break away from lessons to avoid being charged.

A college spokesperson confirmed: “At the moment it is not feasible to have as many students on the campus given the inability to park, so discussions are underway about moving curriculum.

“This would have a negative effect on the town centre as many staff and students do their shopping there. We truly hope that a resolution can be reached by all parties involved before this can be considered.”

Despite several attempts to contact the Antonine Centre management before going to press, they did not return our calls.

Related topics: