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Glasgow Times
4 days ago
- Business
- Glasgow Times
Inside the plans for Glasgow's Baillieston's new community hub
Planners at Glasgow City Council are considering an application to create the centre in the north east corner of James Lindsay Memorial Park. Over £15m for the project was approved by councillors in February 2023, with cash secured from housing developers building in the area. (Image: A long-awaited new community hub for Baillieston) The hub would include a public library, multi-purpose hall, gym and multi-use games areas as well as children's play space and a public piazza, plans show. Glasgow Life, the council's culture and leisure arm, would run the venue, with 15 dedicated staff to be supported by the charity's wider team. The application states: 'The proposed new community hub in Baillieston is one of the largest infrastructure projects to impact on the east of the city in recent years and highlights the city's ongoing commitment to the health and wellbeing of its citizens. 'It will ensure that the planned expansion in residential development within the Baillieston, Carmyle, Broomhouse community growth area is complemented by investment in modern, accessible facilities that encourage residents and visitors alike to experience life affirming activities in a safe, family friendly environment.' It is hoped the hub will become a 'focal point where people can meet, participate, learn and relax', the plans add. The facility, which was first proposed more than a decade ago, is being funded through financial contributions provided as part of the Baillieston Broomhouse Carmyle Community Growth Area. Housebuilders signed up to legal agreements linked to planning applications within the area boundary. 'This is more than just a building; it is a vital, dynamic resource for Baillieston, one that encourages connection, engagement, and participation across all generations,' the application continues. 'Whether hosting educational workshops, social events, or recreational activities, the hub is designed to be a place where people can come together, form meaningful relationships, and contribute to the wellbeing of the community.' It adds: 'We are confident that this development will become a cornerstone of the community, bringing lasting, positive change and providing a facility that everyone can feel proud to be part of.' READ NEXT: This Glasgow estate is 'an island' with no shops, post box or decent bus service READ NEXT: Scottish actor who appeared in BBC River City accused of rape and assault Plans also suggest James Lindsay Memorial Park could be extended to incorporate vacant land to the east to address the loss of open space as a result of the hub project. The land, initially earmarked for housing, will 'no longer be used for this purpose' and is now in council ownership. Works to the wider park will be the subject of a separate planning application.
Glasgow Times
5 days ago
- Glasgow Times
Killer driver 'used vehicle as weapon' during Glasgow hit and run
Michael Day, 25, was ordered to serve at least 20 years in prison before he can apply to seek release on parole. A judge told Day at the High Court in Edinburgh: "This was a deliberate, sustained attack on two individuals in which you repeatedly used your vehicle as a weapon." (Image: Thomas Bowers) Lord Harrower said Day has shown "no remorse" for what he did and appeared to have no insight into his offending. The judge said that he was conscious that no sentence the court imposed could alleviate the suffering of the deceased's family. Day was earlier convicted of murdering Thomas Bowers and attempting to murder Stephen Byrne in a car attack in the early hours of April 14 in 2023 in the Springburn area of Glasgow. He drove onto a pavement at Petershill Road before mowing down the men and then driving again at the stricken victims. READ NEXT: Man raped and took indecent photos of 13-year-old girl on Christmas Day READ NEXT: Scottish actor who appeared in BBC River City accused of rape and assault (Image: Springburn murder) (Image: Springburn murder) Mr Bowers, 33, later died of injuries sustained in the attack and Mr Byrne, 53, was left seriously injured and permanently disfigured following the murder bid on him. Day, a prisoner, rammed them with a Vauxhall Astra minutes after a confrontation at a nearby flat. Day had been using a flat in the area for drug trafficking. The attack survivor told a court that before he was hit by the car he heard an engine revving. He said: "I remember trying to jump as the car came towards me." He said he was drifting in and out of consciousness as he lay on the ground after he was struck. He asked people in the street to call an ambulance to come to their aid. (Image: Springburn murder) Drug offender Day had denied committing the murder during the attack at Petershill Road at its junction with Auchinloch Street but was found guilty of the crime. The court heard he continues to maintain his innocence. Prosecutors alleged that after the attack Day removed a sim card from a mobile phone and fled to a caravan park in Ayr. Defence counsel Mark Moir KC said: "On any view this was an appalling act of violence."
Glasgow Times
6 days ago
- Glasgow Times
Former Rangers star in court accused of killing woman in road incident
Kyle Hutton, 34, allegedly struck Victoria Cairns on Farmeloan Road in Rutherglen, Lanarkshire, on November 2 2024. Hutton - who played for the Gers between 2010 and 2015 - is claimed to have been under the influence of alcohol at the time. READ NEXT: Scottish actor who appeared in BBC River City accused of rape and assault READ NEXT: Man accused of trying to murder toddler by stepping in front of moving train Court papers state Hutton drove at excessive speed, failed to make proper observations of the road ahead. It is alleged that the midfielder failed to react to Miss Cairns on the road ahead. The charge says Hutton collided his Mitsubishi L200 with Miss Cairns. She is stated to have died at Glasgow's Queen Elizabeth University Hospital four days later. Hutton faces another allegation that he failed to co-operate at the scene with a preliminary breath test. He is also accused of failing to provide two specimens of breath at a police station. (Image: Victoria Cairns, from Glasgow,) Hutton made no plea today at a private hearing at Glasgow Sheriff Court where his charged with causing Miss Cairns' death by dangerous driving. He was represented by his lawyer Marisa Borland. Hutton, of Rutherglen, was granted bail by Sheriff Allan Mckay. Hutton's next court appearance is to be determined. Hutton - who currently plays for junior outfit Gartcairn - also starred for clubs such as St Mirren, Queen of the South, and Dumbarton.
Glasgow Times
6 days ago
- Politics
- Glasgow Times
US President Donald Trump to visit Scotland in coming weeks
Sky News has reported that the billionaire politican has made plans to travel to Scotland in late July or early August. Sources told the broadcaster that Mr Trump will visit his Turnberry and Aberdeenshire golf courses as part of a trip that "could last more than a few days." As many as 5,000 police officers could have to work 12 hour shifts as a result of the visit, sources added. Police Scotland's assistant chief constable Emma Bond said: "Planning is under way for a potential visit to Scotland later this month by the President of the United States. "While official confirmation has not yet been made, it is important that we prepare in advance for what would be a significant policing operation." This would the first time Mr Trump has visited Scotland since his re-election as president last November. A visit by Mr Trump in 2018 led to widespread protests in Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Aberdeen, as thousands gathered to jeer the American politican. READ NEXT: Scottish actor who appeared in BBC River City accused of rape and assault READ NEXT: Man accused of trying to murder toddler by stepping in front of moving train The Scottish Greens have previously said Mr Trump is "not welcome" in Scotland and have called for him to be met with protests. In February, Green co-leader Patrick Harvie MSP said: 'The threat Trump represents to global security, to democracy, to human rights and to our climate could not be clearer. "To offer him such a warm welcome and the trappings of a state visit is a slap in the face to the millions of people across the US and beyond who are frightened for their friends and family who are having their rights eroded or removed." While First Minister John Swinney has said he would meet with Mr Trump if he visits Scotland, he said in March that a planned royal visit should be reconsidered in the wake of the president's verbal attack on Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He went on to meet Mr Trump's son, Eric, at Bute House in March.
Glasgow Times
6 days ago
- Climate
- Glasgow Times
Met Office issue 'taps aff' warning as Scotland to hit 30 degrees
Alex Deakin, a presenter and meteorologist at the weather agency, said that the highest temperatures were likely in the northeast of Scotland – and topping 30C is 'pretty unusual and likely to cause problems to people with health issues'. 'I know people want to go 'taps aff' – but I would really advise against that,' he added. The highest temperature ever recorded in Scotland was 34.8C, at Charterhall in the Borders in 2022. Deakin said that such extremes were becoming more common as a result of climate change. READ MORE: Scottish actor who appeared in BBC River City accused of rape and assault READ MORE: Prosecutors claim accused were masked when they allegedly attacked man during murder 'Tell people in Scotland it's going to be two or three degrees warmer every year, most people will be quite happy – but it's a much bigger issue than that. 'It's not just, 'oh, the world is warming by a few degrees, so Scotland will get warmer by a couple of degrees'. No, it's more extremes. 'You will see these bigger fluctuations. As well as the higher temperatures, you're going to get heavier rain. 'A warmer atmosphere holds more rain, so the summer downpours are more intense, they're more dangerous. You get bigger hailstones and damaged crops. The winters will be wetter. 'It changes the natural environment, it changes what you can plant, what you can farm, it changes animal migration, things like that. It changes absolutely everything.' The third heatwave of the year, or just the first? Alex Deakin looks at which regions will be affected by this latest hot spell — Met Office (@metoffice) July 9, 2025 Deakin, a former BBC weather presenter, said that Scotland and the wider UK were due to see a heatwave from Thursday – though there is some uncertainty about when it will end. 'We're very confident in the forecast in the short to medium term, so we know that temperatures are going to increase steadily through this week, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday,' he said. 'It's not unusual to have uncertainty about the longer term forecast – cooler air out in the Atlantic is likely to move in early next week, but it's a question mark about whether that happens Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday.' Deakin said that the central belt was likely to see temperatures in the high 20s, while the Moray coast especially could see highs of more than 30C. 'The winds going over the mountains, coming down the other side, that dries it out and really heats it up', Deakin explained. 'So the temperatures on that Moray coastline could easily be into the low 30s, particularly on Sunday.' Deakin said that a changing climate was seeing the poles warm faster than the equator, and the changing differential between the temperatures was impacting on the jet stream. 'Our weather is dictated by the jet stream. That's the basic fundamental of meteorology,' he said. 'The fact that the equator's hot and the poles are cold, that's what creates the jet stream in the first place. But what's happening with climate change is the poles are warming faster than the equator and so the temperature gradient across the two is actually lowering.' At the moment, he said a heatwave was due to hit Scotland because of an 'amplified' jet stream, which creates an area of high pressure over the UK. A wildfire in Arran's Glen Rosa in 2025 (Image: Police Scotland) While he said it was currently only a theory, Deakin explained that the lower temperature gradient may mean 'you'll weaken the jet stream and that allows it to wiggle more', creating more amplified jets and potentially more heatwaves. Deakin issued a warning to people to stay safe during the coming high temperatures. 'There's loads of evidence to suggest that when it is hot, there are more admissions to hospital,' he said. 'You do see an increase in fatalities. 'Even back in '76 – everyone quotes that summer and remembers it fondly because it was fantastic, but there was a big increase in hospitalisations then.' The Met Office expert added: 'It's a build up effect as well, which is why again it's not just about the numbers on any one day. It's about how long these hot spells last, because that has a knock-on effect.'
