'Nightmare' for drivers on Woodstock Road, Lanark

That is what Woodstock Road has been dubbed as its long-held reputation as the most congested street in Lanark continues to grow.

The street has long been used as the town's favourite shortcut link between its two main thoroughfares, Bannatyne Street on the A73 and St Leonard Street.

With on-street parking by residents turning it into an almost permanent one-way street, long traffic hold ups in the rat-run have gone from bad to worse.

And the situation has been made even worse in the past few years, with four new major public buildings also being erected off Woodstock Road — the Lanark Doctors surgery, Lanark Health Centre, Harry Smith Complex and, most recently, the new council Lifestyles Centre.

There was speculation that South Lanarkshire Council planned to use part of the grounds of the former vetenary surgery on Woodstock Road to turn it from a private car park into a public one, knocking it through to the existing car park on an adjacent site in St Leonard Street.

However, the council told the Gazette that it has no plans to create a new car park.

A council spokesman said: "We own both the car parks in this area and are currently negotiating terms to lease one back to the dentist,

subject to planning approval."

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