Chance to have your say on town's future

Aileen Campbell MSP with Tom Sneddon of the development trust, and her survey.

Through what is being billed as the Carluke Conversation, the trust is seeking the views, opinions and aspirations of people, groups and businesses in the parish of Carluke to help identify future development and improvement projects.

Running until mid-October, the Carluke Conversation will host a number of local events to gather the broadest possible range of opinions.

The first will be on Thursday, September 21, at St John’s Church, when those attending can meet the trust’s board, staff, volunteers and partner agencies and share with them their thoughts.

The evening will commence at 7pm and will include the trust’s annual meeting.

“This is a unique opportunity to have your say on the future of your area, speak to staff and like-minded individuals and begin the creation of a community-led local development plan,” said Bill Anderson, the trust’s development manager.

The conversation will build on work done by Clydesdale MSP Aileen Campbell and her team through their Carluke town survey but will set its sights wider.

“There have been a few consultations over the past years, but they have been very much about specific things, like High Mill or the town centre,” said Bill.

“We are trying to bring together all of the aspirations, thoughts and views of people across the whole of Carluke about the whole of Carluke.”

Bill added that the conversation was about all sectors of life in the town, such as employment, training, health and well being, and green spaces.

“We are trying to bring it all together in a cohesive plan of action, which we can take to politicians and funders and say ‘this is what the community needs’,” he said.

“This will give us a plan that we can talk to funders about.”

Ms Campbell is delighted that the trust will use her survey as a catalyst for the Carluke Conversation.

Trust chairman Tom Sneddon added: “This report is an excellent piece of work and will allow the trust to take forward the conversation over the coming weeks and months. We are pleased that Aileen has agreed to share the report’s findings with us.”