Practical proposed steps for East Dunbartonshire.
The stages explain what should happen first. They are not promised completion dates. Funding, powers and ongoing costs need to be established before a proposal is adopted.
Proposal
Use the centre for more than passing through
The Bishopbriggs scheme creates a dedicated space for events and everyday use.
A central public space can support existing shops and local groups.
Evidence
Who could lead: East Dunbartonshire Council.
- Start now
Agree accessible routes during works.
- Over the next few years
Publish an affordable programme of community activities.
- Over the longer term
Review use outside organised events.
How to judge progress
Starting point: July 2026 construction update.
Measure: Measure sustained public use after completion.
Trade-off: Event income should not crowd out free everyday access.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Bishopbriggs civic space →
Proposal
Keep shops and services reachable during works
Bishopbriggs construction involves temporary pedestrian diversions.
Small changes in access can matter to people with limited mobility.
Evidence
Who could lead: East Dunbartonshire Council.
- Start now
Check diversions with disabled users and traders.
- Over the next few years
Keep access information current as phases change.
- Over the longer term
Remove temporary barriers promptly when works finish.
How to judge progress
Starting point: Council construction update.
Measure: Track reported access problems and response times.
Trade-off: Safer construction areas can lengthen pedestrian journeys.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Bishopbriggs civic space →
Proposal
Develop sports facilities beyond one town
Design funding covers Merkland in Kirkintilloch and Oakburn in Milngavie.
Residents need usable facilities close to where they live.
Evidence
Who could lead: East Dunbartonshire Council.
- Start now
Publish designs, access needs and expected running costs.
- Over the next few years
Seek funding for designs residents can afford to use.
- Over the longer term
Review participation and travel time after opening.
How to judge progress
Starting point: March 2026 capital programme.
Measure: Distinguish design work from funded construction.
Trade-off: New buildings need staffing and maintenance funding.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Merkland and Oakburn sports proposals →
Proposal
Check what the new road changes on surrounding streets
Westerhill’s road programme changes junctions and access to development land.
Traffic and walking conditions may change beyond the construction site.
Evidence
Who could lead: East Dunbartonshire Council.
- Start now
Record traffic and walking conditions before opening.
- Over the next few years
Check nearby junctions and crossing access after opening.
- Over the longer term
Adjust management if traffic shifts into residential streets.
How to judge progress
Starting point: Published 2026–27 road programme.
Measure: Compare the same locations before and after.
Trade-off: Better vehicle access can create new pressure on neighbouring roads.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Westerhill Development Road →
Proposal
Make room for homes people can afford
The average home price is £272,000 (July 2026) in East Dunbartonshire council area. This is about £75,000 higher than the Scotland average for the same month.
Housing costs matter most alongside earnings and the number of affordable homes available. A local average cannot tell us whether a particular household can afford its home.
Who could lead: The housing and planning authorities, housing associations and developers.
- Start now
Publish the local waiting list, temporary accommodation and affordable-home delivery figures together.
- Over the next few years
Test proposed housing sites against affordable-home need, access to work, school places and water capacity.
- Over the longer term
Check whether completed homes reduce unmet need, rather than counting planning permissions as delivery.
How to judge progress
Starting point: The average home price is £272,000 (July 2026) in East Dunbartonshire council area.
Measure: Affordable homes completed, households waiting, time in temporary accommodation, and rent compared with local earnings.
Trade-off: More homes can put pressure on infrastructure and land. Affordability requirements also affect development viability.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Evidence: Average home price →
Proposal
Connect local skills to local opportunities
42.9% of people aged 16 or over had a degree or higher (20 March 2022) in East Dunbartonshire council area. People aged 16+ with a degree or higher ranged from 27.4% in Kirkintilloch East and North and Twechar to 55.7% in Bearsden South — a gap of 28.4 percentage points.
Qualifications show one part of the skills available locally. They do not show whether people have secure jobs or work that uses those skills.
Who could lead: Employers, colleges, universities and the relevant skills authority.
- Start now
Compare vacancies and employer needs with training available to local residents. Start by checking the different needs in Bearsden South and Kirkintilloch East and North and Twechar; census differences are not proof of unmet demand.
- Over the next few years
Link training to real jobs, including routes for people without formal qualifications.
- Over the longer term
Track sustained employment and earnings after training, not just course starts.
How to judge progress
Starting point: 42.9% with a degree or higher; 20 March 2022. People aged 16+ with a degree or higher ranged from 27.4% in Kirkintilloch East and North and Twechar to 55.7% in Bearsden South — a gap of 28.4 percentage points. 20 March 2022; 7 of 7 current wards have comparable figures.
Measure: Sustained jobs, earnings and training completion for residents who face barriers to work.
Trade-off: Training takes time and cannot create demand for jobs on its own. Qualifications are not a complete measure of ability.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Evidence: People aged 16+ with a degree or higher →
Evidence: People aged 16+ with no qualifications →
Westerhill Development Road →
Bishopbriggs civic space →
Proposal
Target safety work where problems repeat
Recorded-crime figures cover the whole East Dunbartonshire council area; they do not identify individual wards.
These are police-recorded crimes under Scottish counting rules. They cannot be ranked alongside the mapped incidents shown for other UK nations.
Who could lead: The local police force, council community safety team and relevant services.
- Start now
Check recurring places and categories alongside local police priorities and residents’ reports.
- Over the next few years
Test focused prevention and support, with a comparison period agreed before the work starts.
- Over the longer term
Publish whether problems fall, move elsewhere or return, and adjust the response.
How to judge progress
Crime evidence and coverage →
Starting point: Use the dated, complete periods shown in Crime and safety; keep anti-social behaviour separate.
Measure: Comparable recorded incidents, repeat victimisation and residents’ reported experience; never a single crude league table.
Trade-off: More reporting can increase recorded crime. Enforcement and support may work differently for different problems.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Proposal
Turn published plans into visible progress
4 named local projects or plans have official evidence in this collection.
A published plan makes responsibilities and intentions easier to inspect. It does not prove that funding is secured or that promised benefits have arrived.
Who could lead: The named project owners and council scrutiny bodies.
- Start now
Put the scope, owner, funding position and next milestone in one public place.
- Over the next few years
Report delivery against the agreed scope and explain delays or changes.
- Over the longer term
Check the benefits residents actually receive after completion.
How to judge progress
Starting point: The dated stages in Projects; unknown costs and funding remain unknown.
Measure: Milestones met, costs against the approved budget, and measured outcomes after delivery.
Trade-off: Delivery reporting takes staff time, but a launch announcement alone cannot show value for money.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Westerhill Development Road →
Bishopbriggs civic space →
Balmuildy Primary replacement →
Merkland and Oakburn sports proposals →
