'It's a dead town' - voters speak ahead of Hamilton by-election

BBC News

2 days ago

On an overcast and windy afternoon, noise is echoing from the top of Hamilton's town centre.The possible appearance of Nigel Farage in the area has sparked protest and counter-protest ahead of a Holyrood by-election, caused by the death of Christina McKelvie earlier this year.However, away from the soundbites and slogans of political confrontation, locals in the area have more direct concerns needing addressed."The town centre is dying", says Linda Smith, who has lived there for 15 years. "We need to regenerate Hamilton - at the moment it's just a nowhere town."
The decline of shops in the area is noticeable, with to let signs adorning numerous premises throughout the town centre. In the Regent shopping precinct some of the biggest units lie vacant, telling a story of long departed retail giants such as Marks & Spencer, Boots and WH Smith."Hamilton town centre is like a ghost town," says Sandra Panton, 65. "It'll take years to rebuild that, because it has been years and years of mistakes there and it's a ring road for East Kilbride now. "I remember going down on the bus when I was six and it was heaving. It was a busy place – I don't know what else they can do. It's sad but it's a dead town."
Local councillors are aware of the problems facing the area. Last year, South Lanarkshire Council revealed a "masterplan" that would see the shopping centre demolished, as part of a push towards creating homes and a new neighbourhood in the area.Linda believes the plans look good, but is sceptical of whether they will go ahead.She told BBC Scotland News whoever wins Thursday's by-election for the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse seat must focus on rejuvenating the area, whether through shops or by increasing social housing."If there's nowhere to shop, then people will go online. Try and get the footfall up – we don't need another hotel because there is nothing for people to come to Hamilton for."It isn't just shops leaving the area. The future of local team Hamilton Academicals is uncertain after they announced plans to play at Broadwood in Cumbernauld next season.Local supporter Andy Fleming listed it among the top priorities for any new MSP. "The town centre is a disgrace, and Hamilton Accies going is another thing - I've been a season ticket holder for a good number of years and I'll not be going to Cumbernauld to see them, that's a certainty."
However, Connor Sullivan, 23, who works in a family jewellery business on the town's Quarry Street, is positive about the possible changes to the town centre.He said: "People want to have a community feel to the town centre. They want something that you feel is at the centre there, like a Marks & Spencer, but you can get independent shops providing that."We are losing a lot of big businesses but the idea is you remove them and get a better focus on independents."Such an approach has helped in Larkhall, the town which forms another part of the constituency.Nancy Barr is a volunteer with the Larkhall Plan Partnership, a group working to bring "positive change" to the area.She believes the main street there is usually busy because it emphasises local services for people."Covid taught us about the social side of shopping – it can't just be about people getting what they need and then going home. A wee chat is part of that experience."
Nancy is speaking while sitting in the Lighthouse building that serves as the group's base, just up from the train station into Larkhall.It's where she and her colleagues work on a variety of ideas to promote the town, which she believes can be overshadowed through being in the same constituency as Hamilton."Folk in Larkhall hate the council with a vengeance. We were spending time putting flowers up on the main street and someone told us we'd be better spending money on fixing the pavements. "We're tempted to get bright T-shirts saying we're not the council…"The group's activities include an ongoing survey, aimed at finding out local views on everything from health services to fly tipping.The most common concerns relate to struggles getting GP appointments and the ongoing cost of living crisis, says Nancy."A lot of people here are asset rich, living in a big house, but having to stay in one room because they can't afford to heat anything else."There's a 10 year discrepancy in age expectancy depending where in Larkhall you live and some of the inequality is so obvious."
Sandra Panton is treasurer of the residents association in Hamilton's Hillhouse area. She has similar concerns - that the focus on the town centre means elected officials miss things happening in other parts of the constituency. Those activities include creating a gardening space and play area for kids in Dunkeld Place, where flats used by drug dealers once stood.She believes community spirit is flourishing again, thanks to the hard work of volunteers.The outdoor space, used for anything from summer playschemes to costumed Halloween gatherings, has helped fill a gap common in many smaller communities - of there being nowhere for teenagers to go."The young ones get hunted because people always think they're out to cause bother but there's nothing else for them to do," says Sandra. "There's no clubs, there's no cafes to go with their pals. So this is a community area that is open to anyone – you'll get young ones sitting here who'll order a McDonalds in. They just want a place to sit around." However, community efforts can only go so far. The closure of a local library and being unable to afford the let on a community hall are a "major loss" for the area, she says. "This is a community – it's taken a good few years to get back there, but we need help as well."
Both volunteers speak fondly of Christina McKelvie, who died in March aged 57 after being diagnosed with secondary breast cancer last summer."She'd come here when no-one else was around, so it wasn't for publicity," recalls Nancy. "There were loads of things you'd phone her about and she'd go out of her way to help us out. We felt she cared."We want an MSP who can lead, who can go in there and speak for us. We need someone to fight for us, regardless of what your party says. You have to decide whether you're for us or for the party."
There are a total of 10 candidates contesting this by-election on Thursday 5 June.They are:Collette Bradley - Scottish Socialist PartyAndy Brady - Scottish Family PartyRoss Lambie - Reform UKKaty Loudon - SNPJanice Mackay - UK Independence PartyAnn McGuinness - Scottish Green PartyAisha Mir - Scottish Liberal DemocratsRichard Nelson - Scottish ConservativeDavy Russell - Scottish LabourMarc Wilkinson - Independent