Benches! Bins! Bike racks! Rigside and Douglas Water communities asked to vote on locations

Residents in Rigside and Douglas Water are being asked for their opinions on the locations of five new benches and bins, and two bike racks in the villages. 

The survey is taking place as part of the Make Your Way project, focussing on progressing sustainable travel priorities in Crawford and Elvanfoot, Glespin, and Rigside and Douglas Water before April 2022.  

It follows an initial survey in June this year, where residents voted for new benches as a priority project which would enable them to walk, wheel and cycle more in the villages. The Under 16s top priority was identified as the installation of cycle racks in key locations, which South Lanarkshire will provide once locations have been consulted on. 

Bins were added to the project following a litter pick organised through the Make Your Way project in August, where 15 residents collected 22 bags of rubbish plus a pile of oversized items. 

Surveys can be completed online at https://bit.ly/MYWBBB or by picking up and returning a paper copy from Atwal’s shop. They should be returned before Monday 15 November. 

Responses to additional questions in the survey around pavement condition, dropped kerbs, tactile paving and more general active travel issues will be inserted into the Community Street Audit report, drafted following the Street Audit with Living Streets in September. 

Make Your Way is supported by Paths for All’s Smarter Choices Smarter Places, Strathclyde Passenger Transport and South Lanarkshire Council’s Renewable Energy Fund. It is managed by Rural Development Trust’s Community Action Lanarkshire programme. It is part of a year on year programme, running since 2016, which targets sustainable travel in rural Lanarkshire and has included community mapping and the development of Sustainable Travel Action Plans to date. 

This year, the community of Glespin voted to progress a Feasibility Study for an active travel route to Douglas, whilst the community in Crawford and Elvanfoot voted to progress a Feasibility Study for pedestrian safety measures, and the community in Rigside and Douglas Water voted for the installation of benches and bike racks. 

Gordon Muir, Managing Director of the Rural Development Trust, says, “we need your help to ensure that the bins, cycle racks and benches are in the right locations so please get involved and let us know where you think the best spots are. Getting more active will benefit everyone, whether it be walking, wheeling or cycling - every little helps to keep you fit, reduce stress and reduce our impact on the environment.” 

The programme includes Bikeability levels 1 and 2 in Crawford, Douglas and Rigside Primary Schools, as well as the installation of Make Your Way active travel maps and wayfinding, the development of sustainable travel information packs and Community Cycling Days in Rigside Playpark (23 October), Glespin MUGA (6 November) and Crawford Playpark (20 November).  

The Community Cycling Days are FREE for all to attend on a drop-in basis, 11am-3pm. Activities include a mobile pump track, Essential Cycling Skills for Families, Play on Pedals learn to ride sessions, Dr Bike small scale repairs and a silent disco. 3 hour long Roadside Repair Workshops, 1-4pm. Are bookable by contacting This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. / 07986 798 098.