In July 1977, as the subject of Glasgow Road redevelopment was on the minds of all traders, some business people decided to speak out against plans which threatened their companies.
One such person was Jim Botterill, the Chairperson of the Blantyre Traders’ Association. The Association was objecting strongly to plans outlined in the Traffic Management Scheme, especially those which wanted to create double yellow lines along both side of the full length of Glasgow Road.
Such a proposal seemed ludicrous to all the various businesses who relied on passing trade and the ability of people to quickly park their cars outside shops. Fast and convenient. Jim said at the time, “If these plans go ahead it will kick the hell out of traders.”
Jim’s own shop on Glasgow Road had already been affected by the first of these yellow lines being laid. In the making of the roundabout at Herbertson Street, his shop “Botterills” had certainly become more isolated, it was said his trade dropping 60%.
The concern was that by having yellow lines on Glasgow Road, people would be forced to park further away and have to carry their shopping back to cars. Some may opt not to shop there at all because of this. This was all at a time when the Council was about to serve Compulsory Purchase orders on many Blantyre shopkeepers, ahead of demolition of the shops and tenements. Compensation was due to shopkeepers, a figure calculated on the profits of their businesses over the previous 5 years.
So you can see why the yellow lines were not wanted. A downward turn in trade, not only affected current profits, but would also cause a dip in compensation when the businesses eventually had to move. Compensation which was much needed in order to fund moving to new or different premises.
The official objection went into the Council in April 1977 outlining the issues foreseen if yellow lines went ahead. However, the scheme at £40,000 did go ahead, with yellow lines painted preventing many cars from parking on the busy Glasgow Road. Over the next couple of years, it created many temporary car parks off Glasgow Road, something which annoyed the council greatly, in the use of spare land, rather than the designated carparks.
Pictured a little later in 1979, is the junction of Auchinraith Road and Glasgow Road, by which time with the building of the Sports Centre, Asda and other buildings just around the corner, had already made Glasgow Road very vehicle unfriendly.
Would love to hear from any former traders if this affected their business during those difficult few years.
