In his latest Post column, Kilpatrick ward Councillor Gordon Scanlan shares his thoughts on the community centre closure and the battery storage proposal...


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There are two local issues currently at the forefront of my mind...the proposed closure of Skypoint community centre at the end of March and the proposed battery storage facility on Cochno Road.

Skypoint is close to my heart. I spent much of my childhood on the football pitch, basketball cage or within the welcoming walls of the facility itself.

As an adult, I dedicated a decade of my life to giving the children of Faifley opportunities to play, socialise and develop lifelong skills such as teamwork or simply have somewhere to go during holiday periods, thanks to various kids’ clubs and camps.

I often think about the children I gave these opportunities to and it was the privilege of my life to offer a free service in Faifley for youngsters and to embolden the spirit of our community.

As the Clydebank Post has reported over the last fortnight, I found it illogical that Skypoint was included in a list of facilities for community asset transfer or closure by the Labour administration last March, given that it was due to close upon the opening of the new school and community campus in any case.

When pressed about this, Councillor O’Neill gave a personal guarantee the facility would remain open until the new school and community hub opened. Unfortunately, this promise is set to be broken.

It is a tragedy for our community and the lack of community space available for Faifley residents for the next two years is of real concern.

As for the proposed battery storage facility, I recently met the developers to ask a number of pressing questions.

It was confirmed to me that no fire safety legislation is yet in place to set standards for the types of batteries included in this proposal.

This is simply unacceptable and leads me to find the proposal impossible to support, on top of a lack of engagement with Faifley residents, concerns over the impact on the local environment and many other concerns that are too numerous to list within this short column.

I understand the environmental and energy challenges we face. However, it is simply not acceptable for this facility to be built without this legislation in place.

I would urge all residents who wish to register their opposition to either declare an objection by emailing representations@gov.scot or sign the petition set up by a local group.