Pedestrian conditions assessment Arden, (Glen Oaks H. A.) Social Housing Partnership Fund for Improved Cycling & Walking Facilities 2020-21

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V1.1 June 2021 Contents

Summary ...... 3 Key points for Registered Social Landlord ...... 3 Background note: ...... 3 Introduction ...... 4 Key factors we assess...... 4 Location ...... 5 Observations ...... 6 Key observations ...... 6 Secondary observations ...... 11 Potential improvements ...... 14 Influenced by the Registered Social Landlord ...... 14 Longer term or more complex change ...... 15 Further information ...... 16 Potential funding ...... 16

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Summary Key points for Registered Social Landlord Our assessment of the area around Kilmartin Place, Arden, Glasgow, which should be checked with residents and other stakeholders, leads us to conclude that pedestrians are disadvantaged by these key issues:

• While there are some convenience-style shops available within the community, the key facility for shopping is sited between residential communities, consisting of a cluster of facilities built beside and around a motorway junction. • Many key pedestrian routes involve either lengthy stretches on narrow footways beside roads designed for high traffic volumes or speeds, or the negotiation of paths through green space which many might find unwelcoming after dark or later at night. • Within the residential streets many footways (pavements) are blocked or significantly narrowed by parked vehicles. As the Registered Social Landlord it may be possible for Glen Oaks Housing Association to lead action in connection with a small number of the issues and ideas described in this report. The most significant of these might be around using its influence to:

• lead discussion over options to control parking, • review options for improving locations in Arden where a lack of passive surveillance, run down buildings, or unkempt planting, have an effect on the quality of pedestrian routes, and • identify any informal routes that could be improved. We report on wider issues because we consider that the better these are understood the greater the likelihood of change – whether locally or more generally. Background note: Our urban environments are defined by interrelated features under the influence of many different bodies, and this report is about current conditions whatever their cause. Registered Social Landlords do not generally have control over the main factors which affect pedestrians in the wider areas around the properties they manage. Likewise local authorities – with limited resources and budgets, and facing numerous other constraints – do not have immediate control over many of the factors which affect pedestrians. However, in the longer term it is helpful if problems are understood, and potential solutions are explored. Registered Social Landlords may be able to have a positive influence, making more immediate changes where they have the power to do so, supporting others to understand the issues their residents face, and playing their part in working toward change. This report is based on an assessment which used mapping and information available from sources such as Google Streetview. The intention is that such information is used to support an informed discussion with local residents, as they are the real experts on the quality of the experience for pedestrians in the areas where they live. Map images in this document are copyright © Mapbox, © Openstreetmap contributors

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Introduction Living Streets has received funding from the Social Housing Partnership Fund for Improved Cycling & Walking Facilities, administered by Cycling Scotland. We are assessing conditions for pedestrians1 around properties managed by Registered Social Landlords. This report presents observations and suggestions for improving conditions, following an assessment of the area around the Glen Oaks Housing Association property at Kilmartin Place, Arden, Glasgow. Key factors we assess Our assessment looked at issues such as the following:

• Footway (i.e. pavement)2 and path provision: the presence, surface quality, continuity, width, obstruction, and design of footways and paths. • Accessibility: how far footways and paths, and their interaction with the carriageways of streets, have been designed to accommodate disabled people or people (including children) less able to navigate complicated or dangerous conditions. • General area design and character: whether this is an area full of human activity and street life or one dominated by the movement of or parking of vehicles and the provision of roads designed primarily to facilitate these things. • Local area traffic-related safety: looking at risk of injury from vehicles, and the likely effects of this risk on behaviour, at how easily pedestrians cross streets or junctions, and how pleasant (or otherwise) a journey might be. • Whether streets and paths are welcoming to pedestrians: both in and around an area, including focusing on how they will feel after dark or later at night – considering in particular what ‘passive surveillance’3 exists, and to what extent streets and paths are overlooked from buildings nearby. • Area permeability: looking at whether paths and footways connect to provide convenient shorter routes for pedestrians, and longer routes for those driving – or whether routes for pedestrians are defined by following streets which have been designed around vehicle use, or by the necessity to negotiate these safely. • Entry and exit points and routes from an area: looking at what boundaries around the area define these points/routes, and conditions for pedestrians here. • Likely destinations outside the local area and routes to/from these: considering pedestrian journeys primarily for utility purposes, for shopping, education, and work – and conditions for along relevant routes, distances, and use of public transport.

1 In order to keep language simple we use the word ‘pedestrians’ not only to refer to those walking, but also to people using wheeled mobility aids (e.g. a wheelchair or mobility scooter). 2 For clarity this report uses the word term ‘footway’ rather than the phrase ‘the pavement’ to describe the space for walking on beside a road. We do this because the word ‘pavement’ is also used in technical discussion to describe the actual material a road or path is constructed from. 3 We use the term ‘passive surveillance’ to describe the way in which it feels safer to be on a street where there are other people nearby who may be able to see activity, including those who might look out from the windows of a building – even if nobody is currently actively doing so.

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Location This report uses Kilmartin Place in Arden as its focus.

This is within a distinct area of primarily residential property, although the area also includes a primary school and a few small convenience-style shops.

Kilmartin Place in Arden

This map (right) makes some of the boundaries of the Arden residential area obvious. Coherent areas of residential property are marked in pink. Spaces between these are created by greenspace, wider roads, and other land uses. These boundaries affect pedestrian journeys.

To the west the can only be crossed in very specific places. To the south, Road also creates a barrier because of its width and the likely volume and speed of traffic.

Southeast there is an industrial estate, Auldhouse Burn and greenspace around the burn.

Residential areas (marked in pink). The boundary between Arden and , to the north/northeast, is less clear from mapping.

Arden is around 7km from the centre of Glasgow

Location compared to city centre

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Observations Key observations We think that these issues (and any positive points) most strongly influence the experience of pedestrians in the area. These issues may arise from many different factors. The Registered Social Landlord, and even the local authority, may have little or no direct control over some of them.

Many longer pedestrian journeys beginning in Arden are likely to take pedestrians through areas where streets and paths lack a sense of passive surveillance.

This map (right) roughly marks such areas, and areas which are otherwise inaccessible to the public for other reasons, with dark hatching.

Areas lacking a sense of passive surveillance can create conditions which pedestrians feel to be unwelcoming or isolating, particularly after dark or later at night.

Not all such areas are problematic all of the time. Areas where streets and paths lack a sense Green spaces can contribute positively to an area in of passive surveillance, or which are many ways – but despite this tend to be otherwise inaccessible (marked with unwelcoming to many people after dark. Streets hatching) which are busy with human activity can remain welcoming, even where passive surveillance is absent. In certain situations passing traffic can make a footway feel more welcoming.

There are substantial areas of greenspace around Links to representative images on Arden. These are made up of woodland, parkland, Google Streetview: golf courses, and even open fields. Few of these Kennishead Road (west of motorway) areas are accessible for pedestrians, other than along the footways of the roads between them (the Kennishead Road (east of Boydstone Road) exception is access on some important traffic-free Boydstone Road paths close to the motorway, discussed later).

There is little sense of passive surveillance of these footways. The roads are generally built in a way which prioritises traffic volume, flow and speed.

These may be unpleasant places for pedestrians, particularly after dark or later at night.

Some sections of these roads lack footway altogether, and may be effectively unavailable to pedestrians.

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The nearest larger supermarket is a Sainsbury’s store, around 500m west of the motorway – around 1.5 km on routes available to pedestrians from Kilmartin Place – a distance many could walk in roughly 15-20 minutes.

The supermarket is beside (and closely connected to) a major junction between Nitshill Road and the M77 motorway.

Closest supermarket (marked in pink)

The supermarket is part of what is effectively a retail park area (although it does not seem to be advertised as such). This area is marked in brown in this map (right). The retail buildings are marked with dark hatching – most of the remainder of this area is taken up by car parking and access roads.

As part of the retail park are the following stores/outlets: • Sainsbury’s supermarket (dedicated car park) • Sainsbury’s petrol station • McDonalds (including drive though) • KFC (including drive through) • Carphone Warehouse • Subway Supermarket and neighbouring retail park • Domino’s • Houlihan Pharmacy • B&Q (large store, dedicated car park) • Costa (including drive through) • The Old Plane Tree (pub/restaurant, dedicated car park)

The surrounding roads, roundabouts and areas of car parking create significant barriers between these separate premises for pedestrians.

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This map (right) shows residential areas in pink, and areas where paths and streets lack a sense of passive surveillance with hatching. The retail park area is marked in brown.

It seems obvious that the site for this supermarket and retail park has been chosen on the basis that most customers will arrive by car. It sits between - and well outside - the neighbouring residential communities.

Most of the carriageways here, even on what might be expected to be slow-speed access roads, have a design consistent with this area being part of an

extended motorway junction. There are also Residential areas (pink), areas lacking neighbouring junctions between Nitshill Road and passive surveillance (hatching), and the other residential areas. Many of the carriageways retail park (brown). might be difficult or dangerous to cross other than at the signalised crossings (and in places substantial sections of pedestrian guardrail have been installed to prevent this).

Pedestrian access exists to all of this retail park, however the routes for pedestrians are built around the larger-scale infrastructure. In this map (right) all the available paths and footways (pavements) accessing the retail park premises are indicated with red lines, and signalised crossings (i.e. pedestrian crossings supported by traffic lights) are indicated with green dots.

Paths and footways (pavements) within the retail park.

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In this higher scale map it can be seen that: • routes from Arden to the supermarket encounter at least 4-6 signalised crossings to negotiate the junctions on (and crossing of) Nitshill Road (over at least 8-12 carriageway lanes) • routes to the B&Q store from Arden encounter at least 6-8 signalised crossings (over at least 10-14 carriageway lanes), • formal routes to some of the smaller stores are indirect or missing completely, with it seeming likely that many pedestrians resort to informal routes through parking areas and in places across areas of grass, • routes between different premises are indirect Paths and footways within the retail park and inconvenient, with it seeming likely that (closer view). pedestrians resort to informal crossings of even the wider carriageways (where this isn’t Links to representative images on prevented by pedestrian guardrail). Google Streetview: Crossings at Nitshill Rd (outside supermarket) Lack of pedestrian routes to KFC building

Separation of Sainsbury’s site from the section of retail park east of this (available route uses four stage signalised crossing)

There are two key paths linking Arden with this retail park. These route through green space. One carries pedestrians over the motorway on a footbridge west of Kilmuir Crescent. The other takes them beneath the motorway on the footway of Nitshill Road, which at this point is a dual carriageway (with many additional lanes and link roads associated with the road junctions).

Because of the lack of a sense of passive surveillance of these paths, and the presence of surrounding woodland, how welcoming these paths seem to pedestrians may vary a great deal between daylight hours and times of darkness – and between

times when other pedestrians are present and when Paths and footways linking Arden to the they are quieter. retail park area.

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It appears that despite the availability of a footbridge over the M77 motorway, all routes to locations west of Arden must utilise either the footway of Nitshill Road or of Kennishead Road.

In this map (right) the footbridge is marked with a green dot. The red line indicates a barrier to further movement west, between the green space and the residential area west of this line – generally created by the rear gardens of houses, but sometimes only by a tall wooden fence.

Both Nitshill Road and Kennishead Road at these locations provide wide carriageways designed for Routes west from Arden (description in text) vehicle flow, speed and volume. There is no sense of passive surveillance. Both routes seem likely to feel Links to representative images on unpleasant, or isolating, particularly after dark or Google Streetview: later at night. Nitshill Road route west

Kennishead Road route west

Parts of the footway (pavement) in Kilmartin Place Links to representative images on appear to be regularly blocked by parked vehicles. Google Streetview: There is some indication that parking on the footway Kilmartin Place became much more common in the last 5 years. Kilmuir Crescent There appear to be similar issues on Kilmuir Kilmuir Road Crescent, and indeed in many other streets within Arden. It seems likely that most of the pedestrian Kyleakin Road (parking better controlled) journeys described in this report encounter footways where this is an issue. Journeys to the Sainsbury’s supermarket on the traffic-free paths are an exception.

Positively, parts of Kyleakin Road have been re- designed, more carefully defining where cars should be parked, and blocking other areas with bollards – meaning that parking is better controlled.

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Secondary observations

The next nearest supermarkets (less accessible than the Sainsbury’s store) are a Lidl and a large Tesco Extra store beside the Silverburn Shopping Centre.

The Lidl is around 2.3km from Kilmartin Place, on a route first passing the Sainsbury’s store. This route relies on pedestrians walking alongside Nitshill Road, a dual carriageway, for a substantial distance.

The Tesco store, and Silverburn Shopping Centre, are around 2km from Kilmartin Place for pedestrians using a route through green space alongside the Brock Burn. Alternative routes exist that use shorter stretches through green space (passing above or Supermarket locations below a railway on pedestrian paths), but those using only footways alongside a road are substantially longer.

The Silverburn Shopping Centre may be a key facility for the community. The shortest routes to this utilise a traffic-free path alongside the motorway (extending the path based routes described earlier).

It seems likely that this path is unwelcoming (or actively threatening) to many people after dark or later at night. It passes through woodland, and uses an isolated underpass beneath the railway. It requires a crossing of Kennishead Road at a point with a design which seems likely to encourage vehicle speeds in excess of the 30mph speed limit.

Traffic-free paths through local greenspace

Some much smaller convenience-style shops are available locally (marked in pink on this map). Some of these are in small ‘parades’. In (around 1km for a pedestrian) these include a post office, Farmfoods store, pharmacy, pub and other facilities.

The convenience-style shops in Arden itself can be reached from Kilmartin Place on ordinary residential streets (distance of around 500m). Much of this journey is relatively well overlooked from the residential property, but there are short sections where the sense of passive surveillance is weaker, particularly close to the shops, and where overgrown

green space may create a less welcoming Shop locations. atmosphere after dark or later at night. Local people

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are likely to be able to comment on whether this is Links to representative images on an issue. Google Streetview: Kilmartin Place shops area The parade of shops on Boydstone Road is around (lack of passive surveillance) 800m from Kilmartin Place. There are sections of all Crebar St routes to this (e.g. on Crebar St) which may lack a (lower sense of passive surveillance, high good sense of passive surveillance, with overgrown fences, overgrown hedges) hedges, and high fences associated with St Vincent’s Primary School. It would be helpful to hear from local people whether this makes journeys to these shops less welcoming.

The convenience-style shops beside Kennishead station are around 1km from Kilmartin Place for a pedestrian. The route to this is along residential streets, which are well overlooked.

Bus routes run through the centre of Arden, Links to representative images on providing journeys Google Streetview: • to the Sainsbury’s supermarket (roughly 8 Lack of passive surveillance at station minutes every 15 minutes, and every 30 minutes in early evening) • to the city centre (roughly 45 minutes every 10 minutes, remaining regular in the evening).

Kennishead station is around 1km for pedestrians from Kilmartin Place. Trains to Glasgow Central take roughly 10-15 minutes, running around once per hour up until around 21:00. Other direct destinations include , and . Most of the journey to the station is on residential streets, well overlooked from residential property – however in the area around the station itself there appears that there will be very little sense of passive surveillance, and pedestrians may find this area unwelcoming or actively threatening, particularly after dark or later at night.

It appears that the footways (pavements) of Kilmartin Links to representative images on Place are in poor condition. Google Streetview: Damaged/degraded surface

Many pedestrian routes lack dropped kerbs. This is Links to representative images on likely to limit access to or along these streets for a Google Streetview: proportion of pedestrians – and many using Hopeman Drive/Hopeman Rd (low quality wheelchairs, mobility scooters and other mobility dropped kerb at 45 degrees to direction of aids. travel) Rd/Cona St In some areas low kerbs will enable access even where good quality dropped kerbs are absent. Hopeman Rd/Kilmuir Crescent (closer image, dropped kerb into carriageway)

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Where dropped kerbs are provided their alignment is Kilmuir Crescent/Kyleakin Rd (lacking) often determined by kerb lines that create very gently Kyleakin Rd/Kilvaxter Drive (very wide swept curves – designed to support the movement of swept kerbs into narrow street – larger vehicles or the flow of smaller vehicles. This carriageway becomes one-vehicle width) will make the dropped kerbs more difficult for many people who need them to negotiate.

Few dropped kerbs are protected (for people with sight loss) by tactile paving.

There are several small business parks or industrial estates nearby, which might offer employment to residents. These are marked in red on this map (right).

Routes to some of these are lengthened due to the need to negotiate barriers (making them much longer than the 2km indicated).

Main routes to the two estates west of the motorway (marked 1 & 2 on map) rely on the footways alongside either Nitshill Road or Kennishead Road, as noted above.

Business park/industrial estate locations The formal route to the closest estate (marked 3) is (red line indicates distance of 2km) indirect, using the footway alongside Nitshill Road. There may be important informal routes into this estate, which immediately neighbours the residential area. Formal routes to the neighbouring estate (marked 4) are available via Lochiel Road, however again informal routes may link to this more directly.

Most routes to the estate marked 5 on the map (which is around 2km) can be along residential roads for much of the route.

The catchment non-denominational primary school is within the residential area of Arden.

The catchment non-denominational secondary school is around 2.5 km distant for pedestrians. Routes to this can be mostly on residential streets, however most reasonable routes will utilise at least 650m of the footway beside Thornliebank Road. This has 3-4 traffic lanes, lacks a sense of passive surveillance of the footway, and may be much less pleasant to walk beside.

Secondary school location

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Potential improvements This section lists some ideas for change. These are intended to prompt discussion, and are not necessarily recommendations. We’ve separated the ideas into two rough categories. The first ideas are about changes which might result from the influence of Glen Oaks Housing Association. The second group of ideas are generally for the longer term, or of a nature which means that a much wider group of agencies would need to be involved. There may also be some changes which could be led by Glen Oaks Housing Association, but these are more difficult to identify at this stage.

Influenced by the Registered Social Landlord These more complex changes might require a much deeper involvement from other bodies, but we guess that the Registered Social Landlord ought to be able to provide strong encouragement or strong influence: Leading discussion of options to control parking Parking on the footway (pavement) should be prevented.

While selfishness can play a part sometimes those parking on a footway are doing so because they wish to act considerately, leaving a carriageway clearer for other vehicles, or because it’s clear that this is an accepted local convention. This may be the case in areas of Arden like Kilmartin Place – where there is some evidence that sufficient parking is currently available overall, but with parking on the footway becoming a local convention.

Physical restrictions, using bollards or other street furniture, or marked restrictions, should be considered in areas of Arden where this is an issue. Behaviour might also be influenced in a more positive way – for example road markings such as painted spaces can make clear that parking is expected to obstruct part of a carriageway (and that this needn’t be kept clear) – or that parking on one side of the carriageway is the convention (and that the other side should be kept clear).

While physical changes may require negotiation with the local authority, what’s accepted by the community may be important. Glen Oaks Housing Association may be in a position to lead informed and constructive local debate about the issue - ensuring that the voices of those disadvantaged by obstructions on the footway are as prominent as the voices of those inconvenienced by restrictions.

It may be possible for the Association to coordinate or commission an appropriate feasibility study or options appraisal.

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Reviewing options for improving key locations There are a number of locations in and around Arden where there is a poor sense of passive surveillance of a street, badly neglected buildings, or unkempt hedges. Where most of a street is more welcoming, improving matters at these specific locations may be an easy way to improve longer pedestrian routes.

Glen Oaks Housing Association may be able to work with residents to identify these locations, and to promote discussion around how these issues might be tackled.

Identifying and protecting or improving informal routes There are a number of locations in the area where it appears as if informal routes may exist – through greenspace near the motorway, or on back routes into the industrial estates, business parks, or retail park.

These routes are difficult to identify from mapping, and if they do exist may be easily lost. Glen Oaks Housing Association may be in a good position to work with residents to catalogue any such routes in this area, and to flag their value to pedestrians – or even to seek funding to formalise and improve these routes.

Longer term or more complex change The potential improvements listed here are of a nature meaning that change is likely to take much longer, and that the Registered Social Landlord is likely to have much less influence: Reviewing options for improving traffic-free routes There are substantial areas around Arden which are occupied by greenspace, woodland, and even open fields – particularly alongside the motorway. This creates the issues discussed earlier, however it also presents opportunities for route development which don’t exist in more built up areas. In theory it might be possible to create direct wider routes primarily designed for cycling – which if popular might also be more welcoming for pedestrians (even after dark). In other countries the introduction of e-bikes has led to the design of wider cycleways through areas like these, designed specifically to support the higher bicycle speeds and longer journeys that e-bikes make possible for a wider group. Such developments are rarely discussed in the UK.

While few people may currently be likely to use e-bikes in this area (with costs seeming very high) the aim would be to make such routes appealing to this community, for access to much more local destinations like the Silverburn Shopping Centre, either for pedestrians or for those using conventional bicycles.

Glen Oaks Housing Association might be in a position to prompt and encourage more informed debate about such options.

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Further information Potential funding Funding for improvements to the urban environment might be available from a number of sources, including:

• Places for Everyone: https://www.sustrans.org.uk/our-blog/projects/2019/scotland/places-for-everyone/ • Awards for All: https://www.tnlcommunityfund.org.uk/funding/under10k • The Social Housing Partnership Fund for Improved Cycling & Walking Facilities: https://www.cycling.scot/what-we-do/cycling-friendly/social-housing-fund

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